Realm High
by ToastyArts
Summary: In this alternate universe, the champions are spunky teens in an American High School. Fernando and Buck are two of Lian's close friends who are tired of her tyranny over the school. Fernando struggles with choosing between his true friends and his love interest, a close friend of the girl he hates so much. What will happen between these once close friends?
1. Chapter 1

Buck tapped his fingers on the desk rapidly. _God, this class is so boring,_ he thought to himself. He tuned out the drone of the teacher's voice and stared at the clock. _3 minutes left_. Those three minutes could not go by any slower. He counted the tiles on the linoleum floor, doodled in his notebook, anything to ward off the fuzzy feeling of boredom setting in. After what felt like an eternity, that shrill bell finally rang. _Freedom at last. _He quickly headed out of the classroom to his friends, who were chatting in a circle right outside of the hallway. They usually ditched class to meet up early. He approached the circle.

"Hola, Buck," Fernando greeted. Buck nodded in return and tuned into the conversation.

"So you're telling me that you dated him for three weeks?" Lian questioned, with a condescending tone.  
"Hey! That's a record for me," Skye responded. "Besides, you dated the 'love of your life' Viktor for only three months! You have no room to talk."

Lian's cheeks turned red as she looked away. Skye let out a triumphant chuckle. "Oh, Buck's finally here," she realized. "Let's go then. The usual?" Khan asked, impatiently.

"Actually…" Buck paused. They all looked towards him expectantly. He continued, "I'm going to head out with Jenos. I promised I would hang out with him today. I just wanted to say bye really quick." They gave each other a strange look, then burst out laughing. "Really? That freak?" Skye joked, and continued, "Alright man, you do you, we're going to go hit up the movies." Lian gave a smug look and said coldly, "We're not into spending the night playing silly games like children. We're going to act our age." With a whip of her long hair, she strutted off, pulling the group with her.

"Have fun with Starboy!" Khan shouted as they walked towards the parking lot. Buck sighed as he headed towards the library next to the courtyard, where he would always meet Jenos. The short, slender boy sat on the steps under a tree. He was engrossed in one of his books, so much that he didn't notice Buck sneaking around his rear. He saw the opportunity, and was going to take it. The larger man tiptoed towards him and crouched down behind him. He bit his lip, trying to hold back laughter as he tapped his shoulder. Jenos jumped and let out a small yelp, but quickly calmed down when he turned around and was met with the face of his best friend. "Gotcha!" Buck shouted. The boy giggled and slipped a bookmark into his book. He understood what time it was, and without saying a word, started walking with Buck towards his house.

Buck decided to start some small talk to break the persistent silence. "So, Jennie, how was your day?" Jenos sighed, "I told you to stop calling me that." Buck giggled. He always loved to joke around with Jenos, ever since they were small. Even though he would often deflect his poorly constructed jokes, Buck knew him well enough to know that he actually enjoyed them.

"My day was fine," Jenos answered, realizing the awkward length of the pause. "And you?"

"Boring as all hell. Although lunch was pretty eventful." His ears perked up at that.

"Really? What happened?" Jenos inquired.

"Well, Fernando managed to lift up Cassie and Skye at the same time, which pissed off Khan. You know how they can be sometimes. So he swept Fernando off his feet and put him and the girls in one arm. That was cool as hell. The whole table cheered."

Jenos stared back at him with wide eyes and nodded. "You certainly have interesting friends, Buck," he responded. His facial expression shifted back to his normal, emotionless state. Buck sighed to himself, realizing that probably wasn't the best story to tell Jenos. Ever since high school started, Buck had started hanging out with his more popular friends. Jenos didn't seem to care for these friends, since every time Buck mentioned them, he would become colder than normal. _I really hope I didn't make him feel too bad…_

The two continued walking in an awkward silence. Jenos was never really one to start a conversation, and Buck felt a tinge of embarrassment for his own loud mouth. Luckily, Jenos lived close to the school, so they quickly arrived at his home. He searched his pocket for the house key, and quickly found it, promptly opening the door. Jenos slipped off his shoes as he walked into the cool house. Buck did the same, placing them by the door, next to Jenos'. _It's always chilly in here,_ he thought to himself as he made his way up the stairs. Jenos opened the door to his room, then opened the blinds, letting sunlight pour in. He loved windows, especially his sunroof that he used for stargazing. Buck smiled softly as the slight scent of lotus flowers wafted over his nose. He always wondered why his room smelled so nice, and was so calming, and so clean... _It's almost like the room reflects Jenos himself._

Jenos placed his backpack in a corner and neatly stacked his books on a side table. "You can put your stuff down here too. I'm going to go change into more comfortable clothes, if you don't mind," he stated. Buck placed his belongings on the ground and sat on the bed, observing Jenos search his closet. Eventually, he pulled out a dark blue tunic and some long, thin pants. Fitting for a relaxed man like him. He headed to the bathroom, leaving Buck to explore the room he knew so well. He got lost in thought as he stared at the various plants around the room, as well as the light blue silks that hung from the ceiling. This room was practically the same as it had been ever since he first came over in second grade. To him, Jenos had barely changed since that day they met, when they were still young children. Still the same quiet, fun-loving, calm boy. His face always radiated tranquility; the faint shimmer of his eyes welcoming peace. But Buck felt like he was the only one who felt this way. Others made fun of his poker face and isolated nature. They tried to see how far he would go until he snapped. Buck knew deep down that it got to Jenos, that it made him insecure.

He suddenly snapped out of his stupor when Jenos returned. Buck shifted his weight as Jenos neatly put away his clothes from before. He clasped his hands together and turned to the beefy man on his bed. "Alright. What do you want to do?" he asked. He had an oddly bold tone. Buck blinked and responded, "Whatever you want, this is your house." Jenos nodded. "Yes, and you're my guest." Buck rolled his eyes. They always did this, this little game. Both were too passive to take charge, even Buck, an obtrusive football player, was rather meek compared to his peers. Jenos was just Jenos.

"How about we do what we usually do?" Buck suggested. Jenos stared up at the ceiling, then back down, and remembered, "Play video games?" Buck suddenly remembered Lian's remark from earlier. He winced slightly at the realization. Jenos cocked his head. "No? Alright then," he responded, now leaning against the wall. Buck started to get up, but quickly sat back down on the bed. They stood in an awkward silence for a couple of minutes. Then Jenos beamed.

"I think I have an idea," he started. Buck nodded as Jenos started to walk out of the room. He followed him to the backyard of the house. Jenos slid open the glass door, and the two walked out. The brisk autumn breeze brushed against Buck's skin and lightly pulled Jenos' silky, silvery hair. They walked off of the deck, the ceiling of which was adorned with calming, spherical blue lights. The soft grass brushed against their feet and the scent of flowers drew the two towards the garden walk. At the end, there was a small pond with koi fish to feed and soft seats to relax in. There were more of those lights are well. _God, this place is cool… _He always loved this yard, hell, he loved the whole house. Everything was so peaceful.

Jenos sat down and grabbed a small basket of feed that was on the ground. He took a handful and offered Buck the basket. Buck did the same. Jenos lightly tossed the flakes into the water and watched the shiny fish swim excitedly towards it. A smile spread across Buck's lips. He loved to see his friend in this state. He started to follow, which prompted a smile from Jenos. That was rare. After they had both finished feeding, they stared in silence at the reflective water of the pond. Jenos' eyes followed the slow movements of the lotus flowers. _I wonder if he planted all of these, _the larger man thought. His eyes trailed off to the bushes around them. He stared at the pale flowers lining the pond, as well as the large leaves looming over them. Suddenly, Jenos spoke.

"Do you like them?" he asked softly. Buck looked back at him, slightly startled by the question. He felt his cheeks become hot. "Yeah, they're really nice," he responded slowly. Jenos smiled expectantly. "Did you plant them yourself?" Buck continued, as they both stared in wonder at the plants around them. Jenos nodded. At that moment, Buck had a newfound bond with Jenos. He felt he should keep the secret, protecting it like a newly hatched bird rejected from the nest. Jenos got up and leaned into a chair. 'Wow, I'm impressed," Buck whispered as he did the same. They both sat for a while, taking in the serenity around them…

Just around sunset, they decided it was time to head back to his room. The garden was beautiful, but the two were starting to get cold. When they arrived back to his room, they could see the sunset through the large windows. Buck watched as Jenos stared until the sun dipped below the horizon. The darkness of night settled in the room. "So, what now?" Buck asked. Jenos paused, then responded, "Well, I have a couple of exams tomorrow to study for, but I reckon that can wait…" Buck nodded, surprised at his willingness to push off something as important as exams. He was usually a diligent student. "Are you sure? I can leave if you-" He was quickly interrupted. "No. I want to get dinner," Jenos responded. Buck was slightly startled at Jenos, but accepted the offer. "Where to?" he asked, as the two headed downstairs to leave. "That Thai joint down the street is the bomb," Buck suggested, as the two slipped on their shoes. "I don't mind." Jenos responded. The two left the house, making sure to tell Jenos' mother they would be back soon. Buck's skin met the cool night air, giving him a slight shiver. "Do you want to drive there?" he asked. "No," Jenos responded. Buck nodded in response as they left the driveway. They walked down the street until they reached downtown Realmton and turned at the corner of the restaurant and entered.

The rich aroma of spices met the two mens' noses. Buck's stomach growled. He realized then he had not eaten since lunch, and was dying to get some food. _Good thing this place has bottomless bowl noodles_, he thought. The two ordered their food and sat at a table by the window. Lights from the town illuminated the inside of the dimly-lit restaurant, which was tucked into the corner of the main area. It wasn't the most popular place, which is why Buck liked it so much. No people from school to bother him, unlike another restaurant like Magistrate Malts, which his friends constantly visited. When their food finally arrived, the two ate and enjoyed their meals. There was nobody else in the restaurant, reinforcing that feeling of peace that had loomed over them earlier. They tipped the waiter and left the restaurant, walking home along a dark street.

"So, did you like it?" Buck asked his friend. Jenos gave a nod, which was barely visible in the dark. They continued to walk. "I really had a good time today. I never knew you had such a knack for… atmosphere," Buck commented. "Thank you," Jenos responded, locking his eyes onto Buck's. He felt his cheeks turn warm; he was not used to this type of attention from Jenos. His blue eyes almost glowed with the moonlight, instilling in Buck a sense of wonder. He was entranced.

Suddenly, a bright light interrupted the intimate moment. Jenos yelped and tripped, the bright light startling him. Buck shielded his eyes and saw that the lights were coming from a car. He helped Jenos up. The lights dimmed slightly, revealing the passengers of the car. His friends. Khan was driving, Lian was in the passenger seat, and Skye and Vivian were in the back. Vivian was holding her phone up, filming the whole thing. "Hey! What was that for?" Buck shouted. The girls giggled, and Lian responded, "Glad to know you're having a good time with that girl!" They burst out laughing, and Buck turned red with fury. How could they be so rude? But it didn't stop there. Skye pulled something out of the car, and threw it at them. A smoke bomb! The duo coughed as they were pelted with eggs. Buck angrily stared back as the smoke cleared. Lian smirked. "Now you know to never ditch us for a little twink like him again," she spat, pointing at Jenos. The poor boy was mortified. Buck breathed heavily, still feeling the effects of the smoke. "Goodbye now!" Lian said, as Khan peeled off. Buck could hear their cackling echo into the night. He looked down at Jenos, who had tears in his eyes. For once, Buck was speechless.


	2. Chapter 2

Jenos had already been crying when they arrived back at the house. Meanwhile, Buck couldn't seem to calm down from his angered state. He never liked Lian very much, but he couldn't understand why she would be so cruel. They were supposed to be friends. Buck tried to ignore his feelings of betrayal as he attempted to comfort Jenos. His mother quickly realized that she couldn't do much to help with the issue besides wash his egg-soaked clothes, so she left him to it. The two slowly walked upstairs, then back into Jenos' room. As soon as Buck closed the door behind them, Jenos collapsed onto the floor and broke down. Buck frowned as he searched the room for some clean clothes and handed them to Jenos. He promptly wiped his face and headed to the bathroom to clean up, leaving Buck alone in the dark room. _I think that made him snap_, he thought to himself. The once so gentle, so calm Jenos was now sobbing uncontrollably. Buck knew this was partially his fault, and he could not feel any guiltier. He sighed as the cries echoed in his mind.

After a while, Jenos returned from showering, wearing a long sleeve shirt and pajama pants, free of egg yolks. Buck smiled at him, but got a blank stare in return. His eyes were still puffy, his face red even after the shower. "Y-you can go now," Jenos stammered. There was a pause. "Can I borrow some clothes, if they fit?" Buck asked awkwardly. Jenos disappeared into his closet and returned with a loose fitting robe. "Hand me your clothes and I'll have my mom wash them," he answered. Buck nodded, and headed to the bathroom to change.

Buck returned to Jenos' room after a refreshing shower. _This robe is awful comfy_, he thought. Jenos was lying on his bed, staring at the stars. He never liked to turn on his lights at night, unless he needed to study. When he realized Buck had returned, he patted the spot next to him, prompting him to sit down. Buck sat on the edge of the bed and faced Jenos. His face was still slightly red, but his eyes were no longer wet with tears. He stared blankly into the cosmos.

Suddenly, he pointed at a constellation.

"That looks like a lotus flower, doesn't it?" he suggested. Buck followed his finger and spotted the formation.

"It does, how weird," he responded. He shifted his weight to sit next to Jenos.

"D-do you want me to stay for the night?" Buck asked nervously. Jenos faced him and paused, "Only if you want to." Buck nodded. He didn't know whether he wanted to stay. Of course he wanted to support Jenos, but at the same time, he felt that staying could make him feel more guilty.

"Well, didn't you want to study?" Jenos perked up, "I forgot about that." The slim man suddenly sat up and looked at Buck with a panicked expression. "It's already late, I can't study… I'm going to fail the exam." Buck plopped his hands on his shoulders. "Jenos, calm down. You can study now, it's not that late. I'll leave so you can focus, alright?" he stated. Jenos started to breathe normally again. "B-but I wanted you to stay," Jenos stuttered. Buck felt his face turn warm and he released his hands from the boy. "Hey, it'll be alright. I can visit you tomorrow afterschool. It's not like I'm going to hang out with my other friends anymore," he said. Jenos looked up and asked, "Why not?" Buck smirked, then answered, "Why would I? They're your enemies, so they're mine now too." Jenos looked down at his hands, trying to hide his smile, but Buck could see through it. He smiled as well. Buck now noticed how the room was illuminated by the starlight, and how it shone off of his friend's silvery-blue hair. It highlighted his long locks that cast an eerie shadow over his face. When Jenos looked back up at him, the moonlight hit his eyes in a way that made them look like their own stars, drops of light in a dark night sky…

It was this same night sky that Buck later laid in bed and stared at. He could not sleep at all after what happened that night. The whole walk home in the dark, he was paranoid that they were still following him, ready to attack again. He rushed home and quickly changed into his pajamas. He was exhausted, yet restless. _Who am I going to spend time with now, Jenos? I don't have any other close friends outside of Lian, Skye, Fernando, and Khan, but they all worship that vile woman. What's so special about her anyways? Why does Skye put up with her teasing and mean attitude towards her? Why is Khan constantly glued to her? Why does a friendly guy like Fernando hover around such an asshole?_ He couldn't find the answers and the questions continued to disturb his mind. Eventually, he drifted into an uneasy sleep, unsure of what was to come.

/

Art class with Inara was a free period. Even if you tried to cause trouble, she wouldn't do anything. She was supportive and open-minded, and didn't like to punish her students. _More people should be like her_, Buck thought to himself, as he tuned out of her lesson about painting. He was sure nobody was paying attention. His eyes roamed over to Lian, Skye, Fernando, and Khan, who all sat in the back together. They were playing a card game, laughing and poking fun at each other occasionally. Buck sighed and turned to the front of the classroom, tuning back into Inara's lesson. She started, "So, for the midterm for this unit-" The students all gasped. A midterm? In art class? No way. Everyone suddenly paid attention. Inara continued, "We will be doing a group project. Each group will be assigned four seasons, one for each member, and each person will make a painting related to their season. Then, they will be graded together for consistent thematic expression. This isn't about who can draw the best, it's about who can express the year as a whole." Everyone frantically looked for a group. Inara frowned, realizing the class was too preoccupied to listen to her now. Buck roamed around the classroom looking for a group. Khan, Lian, Fernando, and Skye had already formed their own group. _Not like I wanted to be around them anyways_. Almost the whole class was in groups. He searched for anyone who would accept him.

"Hey, dude, you should join our group," a black-haired boy suggested to him.

Buck turned around, seeing who had realized that he was alone. He had green eyes, and wore a white jacket with red sweatpants.

"Uh, who would that happen to be?" Buck asked in an awkward tone.

"Me, Cassie, and Ying," he answered. Buck didn't know who Ying was, but Cassie rang a bell. _Fernando's girlfriend… I've heard she's really nice_, he thought to himself. "Sure, why not?" Buck answered, as he sat down with the boy at their table.

"Oh! Buck, how cool that you're in our group!" beamed Cassie, who wore a green sweater and a long braid of reddish hair. Buck nodded back. A small black-haired girl looked up from her desk. "Nice to meet you, Buck, I'm Ying," she said, quietly. She wore a light blue off-the-shoulder top with some jewelry. The boy who had taken him in spoke up, "I'm Sha Lin, but they call me Linda. Happy that you joined us today." Cassie giggled at his comment. Buck was surprised by their hospitality. His old friends were never this nice, even when they first met.

They continued to chat, eventually planning their project together. Cassie called dibs on Autumn, Sha Lin grabbed Summer, and Ying took Spring, leaving Buck with Winter, the hardest one in his opinion. He hated the Winter. It was always so cold and dreary. While the others continued to chat, Buck headed to the bathroom out of sheer boredom. He roamed around the school aimlessly, whistling a tune to himself as he stumbled around. Suddenly, a coughing noise caught his attention. He heard someone around the corner of a building tucked away in the school. He decided to round the corner, only to discover a student smoking. He and the white-haired boy stared at each other for a couple of awkward moments.

"Uh, hello?" the other greeted.

"Hi."

"What are you doing out here during class?"

"I should be asking you the same thing, dude," Buck responded.

"Well I'm out having a smoke, not frolicking like you seem to be," the boy responded in a sarcastic tone. That warranted a chuckle from Buck.

"What's your name anyways?"

"I'm Koga, and you are…?"

"Buck."

Koga took a drag from his cigarette. He looked Buck in the eye. "I've heard things about you," he said. Buck gulped. The scar on the lower part of his face combined with his piercing silver eyes instilled a sense of fear in him. The significantly shorter man wore a green shirt with a dark grey leather jacket over it and ripped black jeans. Buck couldn't tell if this kid was a real threat or was all pretend.

"Like what?" Buck asked. Koga paused. "Well, I know you hang out with Lian and them, and that you're on the football team, but that's about it," he answered. Buck still couldn't tell if the boy was messing with him or hiding something.

"Just about everyone knows that," he answered matter-of-factly.

Koga smirked, then said, "Yeah, you're a popular kid at this hellhole. But you still hang out with that weirdo girl Jennie." Buck frowned as he realized he was talking about Jenos.

"His name is Jenos," he answered, putting emphasis on Jenos' gender.

"I know, I'm just messing with you. I don't care who you hang out with, as long as they're not assholes," he answered with a slight smile.

"That's good to hear," Buck said, sighing and looking away. Koga squinted at him.

"You seem disturbed, dude," he answered, in a more serious tone. Buck looked to him again.

"Just some drama lately, that's all."

"Friends being jerks?"

"Yeah."

There was a pause. Then Koga smiled. "Well, you can hang out with me and my friends. They wouldn't mind having a new guy sit with us." Buck's ears perked up. He still didn't know if he should trust this guy. But he decided to go with it. "Really?" he asked. "Yeah man, I don't care, we don't bite, trust me," Koga responded. Buck smiled, then answered, "Alright, well thank you for the offer. See you at lunch?" Koga nodded, and Buck headed back to class.

"Where were you? You were gone for ages," Sha Lin asked as Buck returned to their table.

"Yeah, class is almost over," Ying said, as she looked at her watch.

"Ran into a friend," Buck answered. It felt weird to refer to someone he just met as a friend, but it was just easier. Besides, maybe Koga would make a good friend.

Buck wandered around the lunchroom with his tray of food. He considered going back to Lian's table, but decided against it. As he walked towards the back of the lunchroom, he passed it. He didn't make eye contact, but could feel his friends glaring at him, trying to pull him back into their influence. He wasn't having it anymore. As much as he liked Fernando, he couldn't forgive Khan and the girls. He usually wouldn't hang out with Jenos at lunch, but he was considering it. However, he didn't know where Jenos usually ate. He decided to press on and keep his little promise to Koga. Eventually, he spotted the spiky white hair poking up through the sea of heads. He headed towards this beacon of friendship. As soon as he spotted Buck, Koga waved and scooted over to make room for him. Buck sat down and scanned the people at the table. Cassie, Sha Lin and Ying were there, which was surprising, as well as Tyra, a girl he used to hang out with a lot, and a dark-skinned girl with a cool hairstyle he had never met before.

"This is Buck," Koga said, catching the attention of the whole table.

"Dude, Ying, Cassie and I already met him, he's in our group for the art project," Sha Lin responded.

"Well, Imani and Tyra haven't" Koga said, annoyed. Tyra perked up.

"Actually, I already know Buck," Tyra announced, a grin spreading across her face.

Koga rolled his eyes. "This is Imani," he told Buck while facing the dark-skinned girl. She wore a blue and red varsity jacket with black shorts.

"Nice to meet you," he said to her, warranting a wave in response. Buck then turned to Tyra.

"Long time no see," he said. Tyra snorted. "Yeah dude, ever since that whole thing with Lian…" Buck recalled the dramafest between his friends and Lian's. Ever since Lian dumped Viktor towards the end of sophomore year, all of his friends, including Tyra, stopped hanging out with them. Buck didn't stay in touch with them either. Lian managed to convince her whole posse that Viktor was a jerk and that his friends were all losers. Buck didn't buy it, but still went along with it. That's what he was tired of from Lian. Her telling him who to talk to, how to act, who to be…

The two sat in awkward silence as the table chatted around them. Suddenly, Buck snapped out of his thoughts and joined the conversation. He found that this new circle provided a sense of kindness and tolerance that Lian's never would. He felt that he found where he belonged. But the thought of Jenos, alone with his emotions, still bothered him in the back of his mind. He hoped he had others to hang out with. Buck never really talked with him at school because of Lian's influence. Hopefully he would be able to change that now. When the bell rang for gym class, he felt a sense of satisfaction with his newfound friends. Then he remembered that he had gym class with Khan and Fernando. Buck sighed as he took his backpack and headed to the locker room to change, making sure to say goodbye to Koga and his friends.


	3. Chapter 3

Fernando always enjoyed participating in sports. Especially football. But gym class was usually boring, even for someone with as much zeal as him. The only highlights were in the locker room, where he and his friends were free to horse around. He dreaded the two classes at the end of his schedule: gym and math. But he pressed on and walked to the locker room with his chest out and his head high. He always walked around like that. Khan had joined him as soon as the bell rang for the end of lunch, since they had their last two classes together. Buck would usually join them too, but he didn't sit with them at lunch today. Fernando found that odd.

Quickly after Khan and Fernando arrived and started changing, Buck showed up. As soon as he walked in, Fernando could feel the tension in the air. _Dios mio_, he thought. Fernando could tell there had been a conflict, and he didn't like conflict. He ignored it and took off his clothes. He then started chatting with Khan while observing himself in the mirror. Fernando enjoyed looking at himself.

"So, Khan, what've you been up to?" Fernando asked while flexing his muscles in the mirror.

"Nothing, really," the other man responded, peeling off his shirt.

"Heading to the gym today? You're looking a little frail," Fernando teased, turning to him and smirking.

Khan frowned. "I'm bigger than you, dude," he said, annoyed. Fernando liked to tease Khan.

"Oh, really? Mr. Hot Shot's got muscle?" he continued. He could feel Khan glare at him as he headed towards his locker to get his gym clothes. As he turned around to head back towards the mirror, he was met with the other man's angry face. Then, Khan pinned Fernando's wrists against the wall of the locker and looked him in the eye. He gulped as he was now trapped by Khan's tall, looming figure. His golden eyes stared daggers into him.

"What was that, about me being frail?" the dominant figure asked, in between heavy breaths.

Fernando felt his face turn hot as he looked away from the man's face.

"N-nothing, relájate," he stammered. Khan smirked as he released Fernando from his grip. He was thankful the man did not hold him longer, since he could already see a bruise forming on his wrists. He also didn't want to have to admit anything else. He knew Khan was stronger than him, and smarter, and more popular…

Fernando then realized that Buck had witnessed that whole exchange, and that he should probably say hello to him. He hadn't seen him all day.

"Hey Buck, what's up?" he greeted.

"Nothing much, you?" Buck responded.

"Dying to get out of school, that's all. Excited for practice tonight?"

Buck chuckled at that. "Not really," he responded. Football practice was exciting for Fernando, but his friends didn't seem to reflect that attitude. Unlike his friends, Fernando had more of a reason to look forward to practice. He slipped on his gym shorts and shirt.

"How was lunch?" Fernando continued. Buck paused.

"Good."

"Do you mind if I ask why you didn't sit with us?"

Buck paused once again. Fernando could sense that something happened, and that he missed it. Suddenly, he realized Khan was staring at them. When Fernando and Buck glanced in his direction, he quickly looked away, almost as if he was guilty. Buck looked away as well, with an angry expression on his face. Fernando frowned. He realized he needed to break the tension.

"Ay ay ay… what's happened between you two?" he asked.

"Nothing, let i-" Khan started, but was stopped by Buck.

"Nothing? You were part of it too, don't act like you're innocent," Buck cut in.

"¿Qué? What was he a part of?" questioned Fernando.

"They didn't tell you?"

"No."

Buck sighed, then said, "Well, last night, they ambushed me and Jenos, badly." Khan squinted, and then frowned. Fernando recognized that he usually did this when he was trying to think of a comeback or justify something in his head. The frown signalled to Fernando that he failed, that he was truly guilty. He turned to him, then asked, "Is this true?" Khan nodded slowly. Fernando sighed. "Why?" he asked. Khan stared into the distance, and then let out a long sigh. "L-lian told me to… she needed a driver," he admitted. Buck frowned, then asked, "Why do you let her boss you around all of the time?" Khan's face turned dark as he turned away. "It's none of your business," he muttered, "Just know I didn't want to be involved." Buck nodded at that, and then headed out into the gym. Fernando winced, then approached his friend, who was now hunched over and sitting on a bench. He sat down next to Khan, then placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Khan, amigo, it's going to be okay. It's just a rough patch, trust me, he won't be mad for long," Fernando reassured him. Khan sighed.

"I don't know, Fernando, he seemed really pissed…" he trailed off. Fernando gave him a weak smile, then responded, "No matter what happens with Buck, or even the girls, just know you'll always have me around." Khan returned the smile, and then got up to head to the gym. They were almost late. Fernando hurried after him with a spring in his step, uplifted by the new connection he had made with his friend.

/

After the class had ended, Fernando and Khan quickly changed into their normal school clothes, then headed to math class. Luckily, there were more people changing when they were in there, so it wasn't as tense as before. Fernando was relieved when he didn't have to change in the locker room with only Khan. That always made him nervous, being with only one other person in the locker room. Especially Khan. Fernando tried to clear his head and get ready to focus as the duo headed into Barik's classroom. He sat next to Khan, so focusing was always a challenge. _How could I focus on silly numbers with this cariño_ _sitting next to me?_ Fernando snapped out of his thoughts when the bell rang, marking the beginning of class. He sat next to Khan because he paid attention and knew how to work with numbers. Fernando, on the other hand, was clueless. He was barely passing that class, and he would be failing if it weren't for Khan's help.

Barik gave a quick lesson about logarithms and then left the class to practice. Fernando, since he had not paid any attention to the subject, was lost when he stared at the practice sheet Barik had given them. Khan had quickly started on his. He was halfway done around 10 minutes later. Fernando hadn't even started. He was staring at Khan, watching him work. He admired his intelligence and dedication to his studies. He often wished he could be more like Khan. Strong, bold, and proud, yet also quiet, intelligent, and well-mannered. Khan glanced to Fernando, which broke his trance. They both looked back at their own sheets quickly, and Fernando felt his face turn hot. _Dios mio, that's the second time today_, he thought to himself. He caught himself staring at lunch. None of his friends saw, which was good. He didn't need to give his friends more reasons to pick on him. Fernando tried to focus on the math, ignoring Khan next to him. He just stared at his paper and tried to process the problems. Suddenly, Khan tapped on his shoulder.

"Fernando? Class is over," he said, looking over his shoulder and onto his sheet. "Wh- you didn't do any problems?" he asked. Fernando looked up at him, mouth slightly open and eyes glassy. He had lost track of time. He then looked down at his paper. He really had done nothing the whole class. "Mierda," he said to himself. He slowly stood up and packed his bags. Khan stayed with him as he walked out of the classroom, maintaining a concerned look on his face. When they reached the end of the hallway, they both stopped.

"Are you okay, Fernando?" he questioned, "You seem off." Fernando was surprised at his sudden concern. "Todo está bien, Khan," he responded, not looking at Khan, but instead towards the outside of the campus. Khan gave him a puzzled look, then nodded. "I'm going to go to Lian and them. You coming?" he asked. Fernando paused, then answered, "No, Cassie and I are going on a date." Khan looked at the floor. "Oh, okay, see you later, then," he said quietly. He waved goodbye to Fernando as he slipped out of the hallway and turned to go to Lian's group. Fernando sighed and walked to the courtyard where he would usually meet Cassie. His mind was full, yet empty at the same time. Hopefully Cassie would be able to help him calm down. She was always there for him. He met her at their usual spot, in the courtyard right next to the theatre. He said hello and planted a kiss on her cheek. He had to, since they were still in public. Then, they walked to her house, which was on the southern side of town, close to the marketplace. As soon as they got to the house, he plopped down on the couch and sighed. Cassie already knew what was coming.

"Alright Fernando, spill the beans, you didn't say a word to me on the way here, and you've just been staring into the distance," she demanded. He remained silent, looking at her as if she had three heads. She sighed and sat down on the chair across from him. "Was it Khan?" Fernando nodded.

Fernando trusted Cassie with his darkest secrets. They had been good friends since middle school. He had been through thick and thin with her, and her with him. When they got into high school, he started hanging out with Khan more, indirectly joining Lian's group. The two both got busy with their own friends, but still went out of their way to keep in touch. She held his biggest secret, and protected it with a sacrifice. They were not lovers like everyone thought, but best friends. She did it for him, sacrificing her romantic freedom. Cassie would do everything she could for him, and at that moment, it was providing emotional support.

"He… he hurt Buck. I don't think he's coming back to us," Fernando started. Cassie perked up.

"Buck sat with my group today," she answered, "He seemed to really like us."

"Yeah, well I understand why. Lian and her posse are pendejas."

"What did Khan do?"

"It wasn't just him…"

"Fernando…"

"They ambushed Buck and his friend."

"Why?"

"I don't know, but Khan helped out. He said Lian made him."

They both fell into a long silence. Fernando thought about how Lian had an iron grip on him, how he followed everything she told him to do. He knew they were close, but were they that close? His mind filled with concerns. _What if he likes her? What if just feels sorry for me? What if he never sees the truth about her?_

"You think you can still get through to him?" Cassie asked, suddenly breaking the silence.

"I don't know, but if that ambush made Buck leave them, I'd say it was pretty bad," he responded, "Lian's a real puta." He continued, "He can't see that. He just does whatever she says, no matter how bad it is. He always hangs around her, and I'm starting to think that-"

"That he has a crush on her?"

Fernando nodded, looking away.

"Well, you can always hang out with our group. Buck's already made the move, and I know you've wanted to for a while," she suggested, "You won't have to be around her anymore."

"I won't get to hang out with Khan as much," he responded, "I want him to come with me…"

Cassie answered, "You can't have it both ways, at least not right now" He sighed. "I know, chica," he responded. They fell into silence again. After a couple of moments, Cassie spoke up again.

"Did anything else happen?"

Fernando's face turned a deep red. The events of the last two classes of the day came back into his mind as he looked down at his bruised wrists. Cassie noticed this, and grinned.

"Fernando…" she said, playfully, moving closer to him. He tried to speak but the words wouldn't come out.

"What happened? It was Khan again, wasn't it?" she continued, now noticing the dark marks on his wrists.

"W-well… I teased him a little bit too much in the locker room," he started.

"Yes?"

"And he grabbed my wrists and pinned me against the wall. Then he made me take it back," he said quickly, embarrassed. Cassie had a wide grin across her face. Fernando's face was hot.

"Was he shirtless?" she asked, playfully.

"Cassie!" he exclaimed, "Yes…"

She giggled and then teased him, "You totally like him!"

"That's not news!" he said, blushing furiously.

She had gotten out of her chair by now, and was dancing around the room. She chanted the phrase over and over again. Eventually, Fernando broke out in laughter, and she did, too.

"No, but seriously, that could mean something. Maybe he was trying to impress you or something?" she suggested, as she sat back down. Fernando cherished the thought of Khan trying to impress him. He felt like a child, and it felt good. He answered Cassie, "I honestly don't know. But right after that, Buck confronted him about the ambush, and then he felt really bad about it after he left, then I cheered him up, and it felt really good, and dios mio! I'm so gay for him, Cassie!" This made her laugh. "I can see that, Fernando. Did anything else happen?" she continued. He paused. "Well, I caught myself staring at him twice, and he asked me if I was okay after the second time," he added. Cassie gave him a puzzled look. "Well it's good that he's thinking about you, but I think he might get suspicious if you keep it up," she said. "He can't, I'm with you, remember?" he countered. Cassie winced.

"Yeah, about that…" she started. Fernando shifted in his seat

"I think we should, you know, drop the act," she suggested.

Fernando raised his eyebrows, then asked, "Why?"

It was her turn to blush. "I have a crush now too," she said.

Fernando gasped. "¿Quién es?" he asked.

She was obviously embarrassed. "Sha Lin. Don't tell anyone though, okay?" she said in a rushed manner. He nodded.

"Also, if we 'break up' and Khan likes you back, he won't be scared to make a move anymore," Cassie added.

"Yeah, he doesn't know that I'm actually single," Fernando said, "Or that I'm a raging homosexual."

Cassie laughed nervously. "Well, maybe you can start focusing on him more if we don't need to hold up our fake relationship anymore," she continued.

"Yeah, I won't have to worry about faking dates and kissing you in front of enough people anymore," he said, relieved. Cassie giggled, then added, "Yeah, I was tired of that too."

There was another pause. Then Fernando decided to speak up. "So, when are you going to, you know, make a move?" he asked his friend. She looked up at the ceiling. "I don't know yet. I want to become better friends with him first," she answered. Fernando nodded then answered, "Understandable."

They chatted for a couple minutes more, and then Fernando realized he had football practice to attend. He thanked Cassie, said goodbye, and left to go back to the school, making sure to stop by his house to drop off his school bag and pick up his sports equipment on the way. After lifting the weight of today's events off of his shoulders, he felt back to normal, and walked with the same confidence he always radiated. He was excited for practice, not because he liked to play, but because he liked to bond with his teammates. Especially Khan.


	4. Chapter 4

While being alone with only one other person in the locker room scared Fernando, being completely alone gave him a feeling of security. Loneliness gave him a feeling as if he could do whatever he wanted. He arrived early to practice, so he happened to be the only one in the locker room when he walked in. He decided to dance in the mirror. He loved to dance, and did so whenever he could: when he was home alone, when he was going to take a shower, and when he was alone in the locker room. If he heard someone coming, he would just stop and pretend to be fixing his hair in the mirror. However, he was not aware of the other man who had walked into the locker room and had witnessed his performance.

"Fernando…?" the voice asked. He immediately recognized the deep voice as Khan's, and his face turned hot. _Just act natural_, he thought to himself.

"Yes, amigo?" he responded.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?"

"Dancing?"

"Sí."

"But why?"

"Because I can, that's why," Fernando responded with a wink and a cheeky grin, hiding his embarrassment. He turned back to the mirror and ran his fingers through his dark hair. He could see Khan look at him, which he ignored. There was an awkward silence as the two started to change into their practice wear. Then Buck walked in.

"Ay, Buck, welcome to the early birds club," Fernando playfully greeted. Buck gave a smile, which quickly faded. He gasped.

"Shit!" he cursed.

"Que pasa, Buck?"

"I forgot that I was supposed to meet Jenos today," Buck said, in a worried tone.

"Just tell him you'll come tomorrow," Fernando responded. "I'm going to call him really quick, I'll be back." He walked out of the door. Khan then gave Fernando a strange look. "What's with him and that Jenos kid lately anyways?" Khan said, in an annoyed tone. Fernando chuckled, and then shrugged. "They're probably gay or something, it seems like they always hang out" Khan spat. Fernando suddenly felt a wave of anxiety. He decided to do something he never would dream of doing.

"We should hang out more, you know, outside of school," Fernando suggested. Khan smiled.

"Yeah, that would be nice."

"Besides, I need help on the math. I'm not as gifted as you."

This warranted a giggle from Khan, who quickly turned back to his locker to get a water bottle. _Ay, ay, ay, he's such a cutie_, Fernando thought to himself. He got what he needed for practice, and then joined Khan in waiting for Buck to return. He decided he wanted to chat with him some more. He was about to ask how his afternoon was, but was surprised when Khan beat him to it.

"How was your date with Cassie?" he asked. Fernando started to panic on the inside._ Do I tell him that we aren't a thing anymore? Do I lie? I don't want him to make fun of me…_

"Uh, it was okay I guess," he responded, very slowly. Khan gave him a quizzical look.

"Is everything alright between you two?" Khan asked

"Sí, totally, we're doing great," Fernando wanted to facepalm. That was the most suspicious answer he could have given.

"Fernando, you don't have to lie to me, you know." _God dammit, he's always so thoughtful._

"Khan, amigo, don't worry about it."

"Whatever you say, man." Buck walked back in.

"Sorry about that, guys," he apologized, as he started to change into his practice wear.

"Está bien, Buck," Fernando said. More team members started to trickle in at that point. "We'll be on the field," Khan shouted as he got up from the bench and left the locker room. Fernando followed. He tried to clear his head as he walked behind Khan. _I can't let my nerves get to me like that again, or else he might catch on_, he thought to himself. He watched the man ahead of him. His light brown hair was slightly messy, and the golden light of the afternoon sun shone off of his tanned skin perfectly. Fernando moved closer to him and decided it was his turn to speak.

"How was your afternoon, Khan?" he asked. Khan paused and looked away.

"It was alright. I just spent some time with Lian, that's all," Khan responded, failing to hide his darkening face. Fernando felt his heart drop, but decided to press on.

"What did you guys do?"

"We… we went on a date."

Fernando gasped. Khan? Dating Lian? This couldn't be happening.

"That sounds nice," Fernando said, hiding his grief. _Dios mio, what am I going to do?_

"Yeah, it w-"

"Hey! Geez, you guys walk slow as hell!" Buck was running behind them and had joined the conversation. Fernando and Khan both fell silent as Buck rambled about how he and Viktor were having an arm wrestle in the locker room. Viktor lost. The three then arrived at the field, ready to practice. Except Fernando. He was a mess on the inside.

/

It was during a scrimmage when it happened. Fernando couldn't focus at all that night, so it was inevitable. Usually, he was one of the best players on the field. But that night, he was lost in his mind. Coach Terminus' yelling couldn't even snap him out of it. His world was falling apart on the inside. Suddenly, he was on the ground. A hulking figure had hit him right in the upper part of his stomach. The wind was knocked out of him; he couldn't breathe. Terminus blew his whistle. Everything was a blur as Khan took him off of the field and gave him his bottle of water. He kept Fernando's arm around his shoulder, supporting him as he recovered from the blow. The scrimmage kept going. After a couple of minutes, Khan looked at him and spoke.

"Are you feeling better, Fernando?"

He nodded. "Sí, gracias."

"Do you know what happened?"

"I-I couldn't focus," Fernando stuttered. He was still recovering.

"Distracted?"

"Yeah…"

The two fell into silence once again. After a couple more minutes, Khan went back to scrimmage.

"Let me know if you need anything!" he shouted, as he ran back to the field. Fernando nodded and leaned back on the bench. He watched Khan play, admiring his skill as an athlete. As well as being an exceptional student, Khan was the captain of the football team. Not just because he was a great player, but because of his outstanding leadership. He was supportive and helpful, yet also intimidating and ruthless. If any student knew how to lead the football team to victory, it was Khan. He always made being a part of the team special. One such way was to get them all in a circle to chant before every game and practice. The whoops echoed throughout the stadium, boosting confidence in their team.. It was well accepted that the Realm High School football team would not be the same without Khan. This was apparent as Fernando watched him play. Beads of sweat built on his forehead and added a faint shimmer. His almost golden eyes shone with vigor as he played. To Fernando, there was no other guy like him.

Although Khan's scrimmage team lost, he still congratulated the winning team. He was just that type of guy. He returned to his team, who were joking around with each other. When Viktor started poking fun at him, Khan smirked and took the smaller boy under his arm and ruffled his hair. Khan was strong, stronger than Fernando even. He could take on anyone, making him one of the most intimidating players on the field. Khan let go of Viktor and started to approach Fernando, snapping him out of his thoughts. The sweaty man plopped down next to him on the bench as everyone else started to get ready to leave the field.

"How are you feeling?" Khan started.

"Bien."

"That's good."

"I'm sorry, Khan…"

"Fernando, you don't need to apologize, it wasn't your fault. Besides, it happens to everyone once in a while," Khan responded. He looked into his eyes and gave him a half smile. Fernando gave a weak grin in response. Khan then put his hand on his shoulder. It was very warm.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. His hazel irises had softened.

"No."

"Fernando…"

"Khan, todo está bien, okay?"

Khan nodded and gave up. The two got up and headed to the locker room. By then, everyone had left the field. Fernando stared into the distance, observing the faint lingerings of sunlight that had rolled over into dusk. He sighed as he recalled what Khan had told him. They went on a date. _Khan's dating her now. That puta. She doesn't deserve him._

He tried to control himself as he changed into his clothes in the locker room. He didn't look at Khan. He didn't look at anyone. He didn't talk to anyone. Buck and Khan both said goodbye, but he ignored them. As soon as he changed, he headed out and went home. His mind was full of thoughts of what Khan and Lian might have done. Fernando wanted to know more, yet didn't want to know at all. As soon as he got back to his family's apartment, he went up to his room and collapsed on the bed. He checked his phone to see that he had a message from Buck asking if he was okay, but he just ignored it and chucked his phone onto a side table. Then, he broke down. "Ay, dios mio!" he cried out. Tears formed and soaked into his pillow, which he used to muffle his agony.

/

Khan was really close to Lian, both figuratively and literally. They were neighbors, and had been best friends since they were children. She was like his little sister. Which is why he was surprised when she asked him to date her. In all of the years they knew each other, she never hinted at having romantic feelings for him. He didn't particularly mind; he always wondered what it would be like to have a partner. Especially someone he holds dear like Lian. Sure, she's beautiful, and popular, and a great friend, but she's Lian. His Lian.

As soon as he arrived at home from practice, he checked his phone. He had a barrage of texts. A couple from his parents, one from Buck, and several from Lian. First, he checked his parents. His mom and his dad each texted him to say they were going to be late and on a business trip respectively. Then, he checked Buck's message. He was asking if Fernando was alright. Khan sighed, for he did not know, which is what he typed back. Within a couple of moments, Buck responded that he was concerned, since he left quickly and didn't stay to chat. Khan had noticed as well, and it had put a bad taste in his mouth. Fernando was almost always the last one to leave, since he stayed to socialize with everyone. Khan had noticed that he always loved to chat. He would ramble in broken Spanglish while everyone else nodded in complete misunderstanding, but it was fun to listen to him. There was always something new with Fernando, but today, that was not the case. Khan responded, "I noticed, I think something's up with him." There was a pause, and then another text: "Yeah, he didn't respond to my message." This was another red flag for Khan. Fernando wasn't the type to ignore people. _Something must be seriously wrong… did I have anything to do with it?_

Khan sighed and started typing. "He seemed fine at lunch today."

"After that?"

"He was kind of off during math and right after school. He seemed to have blanked out."

"Weird."

"Yeah, I know. I chatted with him a bit before practice, about Cassie. He was acting really weird."

"Maybe they broke up?"

"Possibly."

"I hope he's okay."

After that, the conversation quickly ended. How did Khan not think of that possibility? _Maybe he and Cassie broke up, and he was embarrassed about it. Maybe he was so sad, he couldn't focus. Poor Fernando…_

Khan then checked his last texts, the ones from Lian. They read as follows:  
"Hey."  
"Khan?"

"Answer me."

"I'm sad."

"Text me back, dick!"

Khan sighed. _She can be so clingy sometimes_. He typed a response.  
"Sorry, I was at practice. What's wrong?"

She responded with a phone call. Khan picked up.

"Come over," she said.

"I have homework and I'm sweaty from practice," Khan responded. He really didn't want to deal with her right now.

"You're coming over after you take a shower."

Khan sighed, then said, "Alright, whatever you say." She hung up, and Khan went to get clothes to change into after his shower. He headed into the small bathroom and took off his clothes. He looked in the mirror and ran his fingers through his hair, just like Fernando did all of the time.

Khan always hoped Fernando didn't notice when he watched him look at himself in the mirror. He was so confident in himself, all of the time. Always wearing a cheesy grin and speaking his mind. Khan wished he could be like that, not submissive to people around him. He wished he did what he wanted more, just like Fernando. Sure, he was a little weird, but he was unique. Khan remembered earlier, when he caught Fernando dancing in the mirror. He was actually a really good dancer. _He must practice_, Khan thought to himself. Then, Khan decided to try it. He danced around as he waited for the water in the shower to warm up. He hopped in and whistled as he washed off the layer of sweat and dirt that had built up during practice. He cleaned his hair with flair, and after he finished, he dried himself off. He put on a pair of sweatpants and a plain t-shirt with a new air of confidence around him. Khan walked to Lian's house with a spring in his step. He could now understand why Fernando was always so confident. He just did whatever he wanted. He didn't care who watched. That was why Khan admired him, and was so concerned when he didn't seem like himself. He smiled as he knocked on Lian's door.

She opened the door. Khan's newfound energy was quickly stomped out when he saw his best friend's face. Her eyes were cold, and she glared daggers into him as she crossed her arms.

"What took you so long?" she questioned, in a bitter tone.

"I'm sorry Lian, I was just busy, alright? I'm here now," he responded. Lian sighed and let him into her house. The door closed behind them. She then led him up the stairs to her room, past the ornate paintings and chandelier hanging from the ceiling of the entrance. Her family was pretty wealthy, so they had a nice house. Khan remembered staring in wonder at the paintings and detailed decorations when he was a child. Lian opened the door to her room, and Khan followed her in. The room was dim, only lit by a small lamp in the corner. Her bed was large, with magenta covers and lots of pillows. She had a canopy over the bed. Lian lived like a princess. Her robe was made of soft pink fabric, with a small phoenix embroidered on it. She sat down on her bed, which many crumpled up tissues sprinkled all over. Khan had just realized that her face was red and her eyes were puffy. He sat down next to her then looked into her icy blue eyes.

"Lian, dear, what's wrong?" he started.

"I feel so sad," she said, sniffling.

"Why?"

"I don't know…"

Khan paused. _God, girls are so complicated_.

"Fetch me some chocolate from downstairs, will you?" Khan nodded and slipped out of the room. He felt like a butler. As he searched for the chocolate in the pantry, his phone vibrated. He had received a text, and upon checking it, he saw it was from Buck.

"Dude, I was right," he wrote.  
"About Fernando?" Khan responded.

"Yeah, he just texted me back and told me that him and Cassie split."

Khan winced at that._ No wonder he was so off, he probably knew what was coming_, he thought to himself. He typed a response.

"That's not good. You think he'll be alright?"

"Fernando's a strong guy, he'll get over it quickly."

"Hopefully."

Khan found the chocolate and headed back upstairs, putting the phone in his pocket. He opened the door, and was met with Lian's annoyed expression once again.

"Here's your chocolate."

"That took way too long."

"Sorry."

He sat on the bed as she nibbled at the treat. She calmed down after eating it. Then, she laid down under the covers and looked at Khan expectantly.

"Cuddle me," she demanded.

"E-excuse me?"  
"You heard me."

"My m-"

"She won't care, just stay here with me."

Khan reluctantly complied. He took off his shirt and shoes and joined her in the bed. He put one hand around her waist and let the other stroke her pale silver hair. Khan noticed her fresh scent of violet and her soft breaths as she drifted off to sleep. This didn't feel right at all. The girl he had known all his life, now in his arms in her bed. He knew deep down he didn't belong with her. He didn't love her, at least not this way. _Fernando wouldn't let this happen..._


	5. Chapter 5

The sky was still dark when Khan woke up. Lian was sleeping peacefully in his arms. He didn't know what time it was, but he remembered he had a paper to finish. Khan moved his arms off of Lian and got out of the bed, careful not to wake the sleeping girl. He scanned the room for a pad of paper and a pen after his put his shirt back on. When he found it, he wrote a quick note to Lian to let her know he had to leave. Then, he left the house quietly. Her parents didn't know they were together, but he was sure out of all the guys she could have chosen, they approved of him the most, since they watched him grow up with their daughter. As Khan arrived back at his home, he thought about how weird it felt to date his best friend since childhood. He sighed as he sat down at his desk and got to work.

When he finished his paper, he checked the time. 6:30 A.M. _Geez, I must have woken up early_. He stretched and walked downstairs to get some breakfast. The sun had started to peak over the horizon, casting light pink rays across the dawn sky. His mother was still asleep, so he resorted to a simple meal of toast and two fried eggs. As he ate, he scrolled through his phone. When he checked his friend group's chat, he was met with a picture of Buck and Jenos from the other night, stunned by the ambush. He was hit with a sudden pang of guilt. Khan regretted being part of that. Buck was one of his best friends, and he might not come back to them after that. He didn't understand why Lian cared so much about who her friends spent time with. As soon as they got into high school, she had started playing mind games with people. It got even worse after her breakup with Viktor. She wouldn't let anyone who stood up for him hang out with them anymore. Lian liked to destroy the reputation of anyone who she felt went against her will, usually by spreading rumors and humiliating them. She gave this treatment to Viktor, and made sure all of her friends knew how terrible of a person he was. It was almost scary, how much power she had over the school.

Khan headed upstairs to get ready for school. He put on a grey long-sleeved shirt and dark jeans. Khan brushed his teeth and put gel in his hair. When he looked into the mirror, he suddenly remembered Fernando. More specifically, his confidence. His energy gave him motivation for the day. He roughed up his hairstyle ever so slightly, then grabbed his backpack and left to walk to school.

/

The bell rang out its shrill screech, signalling the next class. Everyone started to pack up. Khan said goodbye to his deskmate as he walked into the hallway with his bag. Then, he headed towards his locker to put away his science textbook. When he arrived, his friends were waiting for him. They all had art together, which was fortunate, because that class was boring as hell. But first, he had to go to the bathroom. He put away the book and headed to the bathroom, letting his friends know he would be with them in class. They nodded and continued without him.

On the way back to the classroom, he bumped into Buck. The two chatted as they headed to class together.

"So, you excited to do absolutely nothing?" Buck started.

"Well, there is that art project," Khan added.

"Oh, right. I have no idea what I'm going to do; I got winter."

"Yikes. I got autumn, mine is easy."

"Lucky."

The conversation ended as they walked into the classroom. Khan sat down at his desk, which was pushed against three others. Lian and Skye sat in the others. But Fernando was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, where's Fernando?" he asked.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him today," Skye said.

"Weird, he must be absent," Khan added. The bell rang, marking the start of class. The chatting died down as Inara waited expectantly at the front of the classroom. She called role, which allowed Khan time to ponder. _Why's Fernando gone? He's never absent. That breakup must have been really crappy…_

"Okay class, if you could please quiet down, that would be great," Inara started after she finished taking role. Conversations ceased as all students turned to the tall woman. She smiled.

"Today, I've brought supplies to help your group start sketching concepts for the project. You will have all of class today to plan, but part of tomorrow will be a painting lesson. The project is due on Friday, so if you don't use your class time wisely, you will need to work on it at home," she instructed. Khan realized it was already Wednesday. _God, time flies these days_, he thought to himself.

Inara dismissed the class to work, and Khan decided to be productive. While Skye and Lian chatted, he got a couple of pieces of paper to draw his concept. Usually, he would just talk with Fernando, but he was absent. As he sketched, he thought about his friend. Khan hoped Fernando wasn't too hurt over Cassie. He thought that they had a solid friendship and a stable relationship, which is why the split seemed so sudden. They had been together since the middle of freshman year, why did they split now? Khan didn't know. He looked at what he had drawn. A tree with orange leaves falling off._ Pretty basic_, he thought to himself, as he started to add the background.

He decided to think of what he liked most about fall: football season. The football stadium appeared in the distance, with people packed in the bleachers and players running on the field. The band played their loud tunes, and the cheerleaders cheered. Banners of the horse, the school mascot, were everywhere, and everyone wore the school colors. The crisp air flowed through his hair as he ran. They chased him, he had the ball. He had the ball. The next thing he knew, everyone was cheering. He scored. There was no time left on the clock. They had won, because of him. His team surrounded him as the crowd went wild. It was a close game; the teams were tied for most of the game. Everyone hugged him as the band started to play the fight song. Khan looked around and realized there was next to nothing he loved more than playing with his team. He looked at each of their faces, all of them important to his eventual rise to the position of team captain. But there was one face that stood out. Those black eyes, almost like coals, dark brown hair, awkward high school stubble, and a cheeky grin. One of his best friends. Fernando. The warmth he provided completed his experience. Victory, excitement, loss, depression, pain, all feelings were overshadowed with friendship. And it smelled of shitty cologne. The whole experience helped Khan form the image of autumn on his paper.

"Khan? Is that your sketch?" The soft voice behind him startled him out of his thoughts. Inara glanced at the paper on the table.

"Uh, yeah," he answered.

"I really like it!" she commented, smiling.

"Thanks," Khan said, weakly.

"How about the rest of your group?" she asked.

Suddenly, Lian and Skye looked up from their phones, a stunned look on their faces. Inara looked at both, waiting for an answer.

"Oh, we're working on it," Lian responded.

"Doesn't look like you've gotten much done. Just because the most artistic person in your group isn't here doesn't mean you can slack off," she said coldly as she walked away from their table. There was a pause, and then Lian spoke.

"Lemme see your concept, it probably isn't even that good," she stated, as she grabbed the paper off of Khan's desk. Her face turned from disinterested to mildly shocked when she looked at it. Skye glanced at it, then chuckled.

"Yeah, it's totally shit, Lian," she joked.

"Shut up! You haven't even started!" she spat.

"Neither have you."

"Do you even know what season you have?"

"Spring?"

"No, I'm Spring, bitch."

"No you're not. I could have sworn I got Spring."

"Calm down! It's not that big of a deal," Khan cut in, "Skye is right, Lian, you got Winter, she got Spring" Skye gave a triumphant smirk and Lian pouted.

"I'll just draw something about Christmas," she said.

"But it needs to match the group," Skye started.

"Whatever."

Skye rolled her eyes as she grabbed one of the extra sheets Khan brought to the table. Lian gave back Khan's paper. Khan sighed and rested his chin on his hand. _Today is going to be a long day..._

/

Khan sighed as he sat down at the lunch table. He didn't feel like dealing with his friends today, but he had to. Buck had left, and Fernando was absent. He almost envied them. Not Fernando though. While Skye and Lian chatted, he thought about his friend, hoping he was feeling better. Then, he glanced over at Buck. Buck was smiling and laughing with his new friend group. They looked like they enjoyed each other's company. Cassie looked oddly carefree. _She probably dumped him_, Khan thought to himself. He turned back to his table, and Lian's eyes met his.

"Whatcha looking at?" she asked.

"Nothing, Lian," he answered.

"Did you hear about Cassie and Fernando?"

"Yes."

"Wait, what happened?" Skye cut in.

"How have you not heard? They broke up, dumbass," Lian answered.

"Wait, really?"

"Yes!"

"Oh shit. Well, she was out of his league anyways."

"Skye!"

"What?"

"Actually, you're kinda right," Lian said, letting out a chuckle. Khan frowned. _How could they be so disrespectful?_ Their conversation continued.

"He's a weird guy. I wouldn't even date him," Skye added.

"That's saying a lot coming from you."

"He's like Khan, but more loud and annoying," Skye said, causing Khan to perk up.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"Well, I mean, he's also hotter than him," Lian stated, ignoring him.

"Is he hotter than Viktor?" Skye teased.

Lian blushed, then looked at Khan. "Yes, he is," Lian smiled. She put her hand on Khan's, which was significantly larger. Skye's mouth was agape. "W-wait, you and Khan are…" she struggled, "Dating?" Lian nodded. Khan could feel himself blush out of embarrassment as she interlocked their fingers. Skye's face turned red.

"How did you get a boyfriend and I didn't?" she questioned, angrily. Lian smirked.

"Maybe if you cared about something besides sex and money, more guys would like you."  
"Lian! God, you're such a bitch sometimes."

"You wanna go? Let's go," Lian proposed. She quickly got up from her seat.

"Alright, bring it on, whore!" Skye yelled, getting up from her seat.

Khan blocked out the sounds of the girls screeching at each other. They clawed at each other violently. Khan realized at that moment how much he missed Fernando. He was always there to stop this from happening, always the mediator of the group. After a couple of moments, the fight got worse, so he stood up. He got in between the girls and shoved them apart, his brute strength overpowering their bodies. "Cut it out, you two, or you're going to get in trouble," he said, louder than intended. The whole lunchroom was staring at them._ God, this is so embarrassing_, he thought to himself. The three returned to their seats in silence. Khan decided to pull out his phone and ignore everything. He had enough of his friends' shenanigans. He didn't understand why Skye kept poking fun at Lian about Viktor. She was sensitive about him, and didn't like when people brought it up. On the other hand, he was angry at Lian for exposing their relationship so early. Or was he just embarrassed to be dating her in the first place?

Khan checked his texts, and there was nothing. When he scrolled down far enough, he reached his conversation with Fernando. They didn't text much. But that picture of him next to the chat tempted Khan. He wanted to check on his friend. He hadn't seen him since the night before, and was worried. So he shot a simple text.

"Hello," he wrote. Khan picked at his lunch. _This shit sucks_, he thought to himself, as he poked at the rubbery peas and dry rice. Suddenly, his phone vibrated, surprising him. Khan excitedly checked his phone, only to see a text from his father. He sighed as he started typing back. They had a short conversation, and then Khan put his phone back on the table. He was really hoping Fernando would text him back. Gym and math would be really boring without him. Yesterday, though, he noticed, after gym class, he was acting a bit strange. He didn't do any work, and didn't pay attention to Barik's lecture. Khan realized the next test was on Friday._ Maybe I could help him study if we hang out?_ He decided he would ask about it when Fernando texted back. But, for now, he had to bear through the last two classes of the day alone. The bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. Lian gave him a quick hug, and then he left to get ready for gym class.

When he got to the locker room, he had a short conversation with Buck.

"Hey Buck," he greeted.

"Oh, hi Khan," the other responded as he started to change out of his clothes.

"How's your day going?"

"It's been alright. I'm going to go hang out with Jenos afterschool."

"Oh, that's nice. What are you two gonna do?"

"Probably just chill at his house."

"Nice."

"You?"  
"I don't know, probably hang out with Lian or something."

"You two are practically attached at the hip," Buck joked, as they both finished changing. Then, they walked to the gym.

"What were her and Skye arguing about, anyways?" he asked.

"Just girl stuff. Skye was making fun of Lian and then Skye got jealous of her," Khan said quickly. He really didn't want to talk about it.

"Jealous? Why?"

"Because she's single and Lian isn't"

"Oh, really, who is she with?" Buck asked innocently. Khan took a deep breath, then exhaled.

"Me…"

Buck gasped. "No way! Congratulations!" he said weakly, "She's a catch." That made them both laugh. "Good one, Buck," Khan said, rolling his eyes. Khan tried his best to keep the new relationship private, but failed. He felt embarrassed, like he didn't belong.

As he walked out of math class, Khan pulled out his phone. Lian was calling him. He picked up.

"Let's go to Magistrate Malts" she demanded. Khan didn't like that place, but obliged.

"Alright, I'll meet you in front of the school," he answered. He hung up. _Why is she so controlling?_ He continued to walk until he reached the end of the hallway. He opened the door and walked to the benches right by the entrance. Right after he sat down, his phone vibrated. When he pulled it out and read the name, his heart skipped a beat. Fernando.

"Hola," the text read.

"How's your day gone?" Khan asked.

"It went fine." Khan frowned. Fernando always acted like everything was alright, even when it clearly wasn't.

"I heard about you and Cassie, are you okay?" There was a pause, then he sent another text.

"Why weren't you here?"

"Just not feeling well," Fernando responded. Khan knew it was a lie.

"Sad?"

"Yes."

"About Cassie?"

"Más o menos."

"Well, I hope you feel better soon."

"Gracias, amigo."

"We should totally hang out tomorrow."

"Yeah. That would be great."

"We could work on the art project."  
"Alright, your place or mine?" Fernando asked. Khan winced. Did he really want Fernando to come to his house? Then again, Fernando had a cramped apartment that he shared with his family.

"Mine." Khan answered.

"Alright, amigo, see you then," Fernando typed back, adding a smiley face. Khan chuckled. Fernando really liked to use emojis.

"Bye bye now," Khan responded, putting a waving hand at the end. He put away his phone and looked up, only to meet Lian staring back at him.

"Who are you texting?" she asked coldly.

"Fernando."

"Okay, whatever. Let's go."

Khan got up and walked with Lian away from the school, towards downtown. He looked at the trees that lined the streets around the school as Lian complained about her grades. He tuned out her rambling and thought about Fernando. Khan was excited to see him tomorrow. _Hopefully I can help him feel better..._


	6. Chapter 6

Buck was unsure of his feelings as he knocked on the door to Jenos' house. He didn't know whether to be nervous, excited, sad, or happy. They had a great time on Monday, but the last time he had seen Jenos, he was miserable. It didn't help that he had flaked on him yesterday. He took a deep breath and hoped for the best as Jenos' mom answered the door. "Hello Buck." She let him into the house and Buck nodded in response. "Is Jenos in his room?" he asked. "Yes, I think he might be busy, though," she answered. Buck walked up the stairs and approached the room. He slowly cracked the door open, and was met with an unfamiliar sight. Jenos' room was messy._ How weird, he always keeps his room tidy_, he thought to himself, as he scanned the area for his friend. Suddenly, he heard a noise behind him. Buck turned around to see the boy he was looking for right behind him.

"Oh, hello Jenos," he greeted in an awkward tone.

"Hi," the boy responded flatly. He walked right past Buck and sat on his bed, which was unmade. Buck scanned the rest of the room. Papers scattered on the floor. Clothes hanging off of a chair. Books tucked into corners, far from the shelves.

"Geez, what happened here? It's like there's been a twister," Buck commented. Jenos stared back at him.

"What do you mean?"

"Uh, it's just a little messy, that's all," Buck cringed at himself. He regretted saying anything. There was a long silence. Buck stood in the doorway, trying to think of what to say._ Why is this so hard?_ Finally, he managed to scrape something together.

"So, what did you do today?" he asked.

"Nothing."

Back to silence. Jenos was oddly distant, even more so than usual. After a couple of moments, Buck spoke again.

"What did you want to do with me?"

"I don't care."

"Alright then."

Buck set his stuff down next to a table in the room. He then sat on the floor next to Jenos' bed. There was something off about his friend. Sure, he was quiet, but never this quiet. He decided to dig deeper. "Is something wrong, Jenos?" Silence. Buck looked up at his friend after a couple of moments. He was biting his lip, and he could see tears forming in his eyes. Buck quickly got up and moved in front of his friend to face him. He squatted down slightly to meet him at eye level. "Jenos, come on," he started. The shorter man looked away. "Look at me, please." He moved his knees, and put his face into them. Buck sat next to him on the bed and loosely put his arm around his hurting friend.

"Jenos, you can tell me what's wrong, it's okay. I promise I won't judge you," he said softly. Jenos sniffled, and then turned back to Buck.

"P-promise?"

"Yes. I promise."

"Well, I just feel so…" Jenos started. He closed his mouth, as if his words had vanished into thin air.  
"You can say it."

"Guilty." Buck raised his eyebrows.

"Why? Is it my fault?"  
"N-no. I just feel like I'm holding you back, like I'm a burden on you." Buck nodded and continued to listen.  
"Like, the other night made me realize that I'm not like you. We're not supposed to be friends. You're popular and social, and I'm just…" Jenos stopped. He was crying now. Buck frowned; he hated to see Jenos like this.

"A loser."

There was another pause. Then Jenos continued.

"Nobody wants us to be friends, Buck, we're not allowed. And that's my fault. It's my fault that the ambush happened. It's my fault that-"  
"No it's not. You didn't do anything to cause that. You didn't cause Lian to be such a hateful, jealous, micromanaging bitch. You were just yourself, and there's nothing wrong with that. Let the rest of the school think our friendship is wrong, it doesn't matter, as long as we're happy," he blurted out. He couldn't stand listening to Jenos dig himself into a deeper hole of guilt anymore.

"But, I'm such an inconvenience to you. If we weren't friends, the ambush wouldn't have happened, and you'd have your old friends."

"Jenos, you're not an inconvenience. You're worth it, even if the whole school hates me for it. I love spending time with you. Besides," he paused, smiled, then continued, "I don't need them if I have you."

Jenos smiled, tears of sadness turning into tears of joy. Suddenly, he hugged Buck. Buck closed his eyes and held his friend against him. He could feel his tears soaking his shirt, but he didn't care. He enjoyed the moment. _He smells like flowers_, Buck thought to himself. "You're a great friend," Jenos mumbled into his chest. Buck patted him on the back and let go. His eyes were wet, and his face red, but he had a smile on his face now.

"So, what do you say? Chill out?" Buck asked. Jenos chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess. I have some homework to catch up on, what about you?"

"Same here. We could maybe listen to some tunes, eat some snacks, and work."

"Sounds good enough. I'm going to go downstairs and get some food. Want anything?"

"Just get some of those cheese crisps for me, I'll set up my portable speaker," Buck added, moving towards his backpack. Jenos nodded and went down the stairs. Buck took out his phone and speaker and put the setup on the table. He had just started to browse stations when Jenos returned with snacks.

"So, what do you have to do?" Buck asked, as Jenos handed him a bowl.

"Just a lab report, you?"

"Well, I actually have an art project to work on, as well as some math homework."

"Art? How interesting."

"What do you want to listen to?"

"What are the choices?" Jenos asked. He handed him his phone. While he scrolled through the stations, Buck got out his math worksheet. He stared at it, slightly confused at its contents.

"Hey, you think you can help me with this?" he asked Jenos. Jenos, being a committed student, was far ahead of him in math. He had managed to skip ahead and was already taking Calculus. Some simple algebra meant nothing to him.

"What is it?" he responded as he continued to search for a station.

"Some logarithm problems."

"Yeah, sure." He handed the phone back to Buck, and shortly after, country music started blaring through the speakers. Buck raised his eyebrows and glanced up at Jenos.

"You like country music?" Buck asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Jenos responded, shyly.

"That's… unexpected," Buck said, trying to hold back laughter. He could see Jenos blush.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, I don't mind," he reassured his friend. Jenos nodded, then sat next to him on the floor.

"What do you need help with?" he asked.  
"I just don't understand how these problems work." Buck pointed at a section of questions on the paper. Jenos squinted.  
"Oh, for those, you just have to use the rules to isolate the variable. It's solving, but with different rules," he started. Buck gave him a puzzled look.

"Here, let me show you. To isolate X, you need to get rid of the logarithm. So, you use the rules to combine these two, then, you can cancel them and solve the equation," he explained, performing the steps slowly to make sure Buck understood. He nodded, then thanked his friend. The two started to work on their respective sheets, enjoying the music and each other's company.

After about an hour, they had both finished their work. Buck put away his sheet, then got out a piece of paper he had started to sketch on during art class today. He sighed and looked at what little progress he had made. Suddenly, Jenos sat down next to him on the floor. He peered at his drawing.

"What is your project about?" he asked, noticing his clear distress, "Maybe I can help you."

"Well, it's a group project, and each of us has to make a painting that represents a season. I have Winter, and I don't know what to do," Buck explained.

Jenos nodded. "Well, start with something simple, like, what's something you like about Winter?"

Buck paused. His mind was blank. "Nothing."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's just so cold and miserable all of the time."

"Well, it's actually my favorite season."

"Why?"

"I don't mind the cold. I actually quite like it. I also think it looks really cool when the trees in the forests shed their leaves. They kind of look like skeletons. And it's dark for longer too, so there's more time to stargaze. The stars are much brighter in the Winter, you know. It's fun to go out and see them, but I also like watching them from the comfort of my room. I always like to drink my tea on that chair and read too. It's really pleasant."

Buck paused, taken aback by the level of detail Jenos put in that short description. It had opened his eyes to a new perspective of enjoying the changes in the world around them. He never saw it in the way Jenos did; usually, he would accept the general notion that Winter was miserable. He felt inspired by this new opinion, and nodded back at Jenos.

"That's actually really cool," he said. He got up, sat at Jenos' desk, and frantically started adding to his sketch. Jenos watched him intently from the edge of the bed. The silver-haired boy smiled as he watched his short vignette materialize on the paper. After about 30 minutes, Buck had almost finished. He cracked his knuckles, and looked at his creation.

A mountain range set the stage. Skeletal trees framed the edges and dotted the background. Shrubs and grass poked through a light layer of snow. There was a small tent on the ground, and a campfire in front of it. But the main focus was the sky. Shining stars were sprawled across the dark blanket of the night, almost like a necklace had snapped and dropped all of its beads on a black cloth. The cosmos was like a glowing network in the sky. Two friends sat around the campfire with mugs in hand, staring up at the sight above them. Suddenly, Buck snapped back to reality when he felt a presence behind him. He turned around to see Jenos transfixed by his sketch.

"I-I love it…" Jenos stammered. Buck felt his face turn hot. Jenos was never before this impressed by something Buck had done.

"Hopefully I'll have enough time to paint with this much detail," Buck added, facing Jenos. There was a pause.

"Can I keep it? You know, when you're done with it? Just the sketch is fine," Jenos asked nervously, avoiding eye contact with Buck.

"Of course, I mean, you inspired it." Buck gave a slight smile. Jenos grinned, then looked towards the windows. The sun was going to set soon.

"You want to go to the yard?" Buck asked, changing the subject.  
"Are you a mind reader?" Jenos responded playfully as he walked to the door of his room. Buck got up from his chair and followed him outside. They went through the door, off of the deck, and past the lights. Each boy sat down in a chair in front of the pond, viewing the sky's vibrant colors. Birds chirped and the garden had a distinct floral scent. Buck looked towards the sunset, but also at his friend, whose silvery hair reflected a dampened peach color from the sky. Then, he spoke.

"Winter may have the best stars, but Autumn has the best sunsets," he commented. Hues of pink, orange, and pale yellow blended with the light blue of the sky. The clouds looked like pink plumes floating freely in the large expanse of color. As the sun dipped lower, the colors turned darker, yet more vibrant. The two watched in silence as the last of the light faded into night. After that, they walked back inside and back to Jenos' room.

"You should stay for the night," Jenos suggested.

"Yeah, that would be nice, I just need to get some stuff," Buck responded.

"Alright, I can take you back to your house to pick up your stuff, then we can come back here and eat or we can pick up dinner on the way," Jenos said.

"We can stop," Buck answered as Jenos grabbed his car keys and headed towards his door. Buck followed him downstairs and outside. They hopped into his car and drove back to his house. Buck let his parents know he was staying with Jenos, then rejoined his friend, clothes and toiletries packed in a bag. They stopped at a small fast food restaurant to pick up food to eat at home. The drive back home was quick, and they got out of the car to eat their meals inside. The two chatted about school and other various topics as they ate. Then, they headed to the living room and proceeded to play video games for a couple of hours. By the time the friends were finished with playing, it was late.

"God, you always beat me in that game," Buck commented as they walked up the stairs towards Jenos' room. Jenos chuckled.

"How do you do it, anyways?" he asked.

"A magician never reveals their secrets," Jenos teased, walking into the room. Buck rolled his eyes, but was glad that Jenos was back to his normal playful, friendly self. Jenos took his clothes to take a shower and change, so Buck waited in his room. He decided he would do a favor for Jenos: help clean his room. Jenos had kept his room the same way since he was a young child, so Buck quickly got to work. He started by moving the stray books back to the shelves where they belonged. Then, he made his bed. Lastly, he folded the clothes sprawled on the floor and put them into the drawers. He stumbled across what seemed to be Jenos' diary hidden in one drawer, and although he was tempted to read it, he left it be. Soon after, Jenos returned. He gasped.

"Buck, did you- did you clean my room?" he asked, stunned.

"Yeah," Buck responded.

"W-well, thank you." Jenos started to roam around and examine the room.

"You got everything right," he continued. Buck put his hand on the back of his head.

"It wasn't too hard, I just felt like it would make you feel better, you know, since you like your stuff all neat," Buck explained. Jenos smiled.

"It worked."

After that, it was Buck's turn to shower and change. By the time they had both brushed their teeth and got ready to sleep, it was almost midnight. Jenos had set up a mattress on the floor for Buck to sleep on, just like when they were children. They both tucked themselves in after Jenos turned off the lights. When Buck stared up at the stars through the skylight, he felt a sense of nostalgia, as well as wonder. As a child, whenever he would sleep over at Jenos' place, he always watched the stars until he fell asleep under their glow.

Some time later, when Buck was sure Jenos had fallen asleep, he shifted to get a better view of the stars. Buck, being the large man he was, naturally made noise while moving around. This had unknowingly signalled to Jenos that he was still awake, prompting him to speak.

"Buck? Are you still awake?" he asked.

"Yes." There was a short pause.

"You're my best friend."

"You're my best friend, too, Jenos."

Buck smiled as he drifted off to sleep, the starlight casting a ghostly glow over everything in the room.


	7. Chapter 7

When Fernando woke up that morning, he remained in his bed for a couple of moments, not wanting to step out of the comfort. He was nervous about coming back to school after taking a day off, but excited to spend time with Khan. Despite his loss of hope, Fernando still wanted to be around him. He loved spending quality time with his friends, especially Khan. The day before felt empty from his lack of socialization. However, he could not risk his true feelings getting out. Fernando knew he wouldn't be able to handle the sight of his crush and his enemy together after only one day, and he still wasn't sure if he could. He received several texts checking on him, even one from Khan. However, nobody who texted him knew what really troubled him. Fernando was glad Cassie had ended their fake relationship, since he could use the breakup as a cover for his true feelings. After a couple of moments, he accepted the day ahead of him and climbed out from under his covers, trying not to think about Khan and Lian together.

Fernando stumbled into the kitchen to make himself a quick breakfast. Nobody else was awake yet. Usually, when he woke up, his mother was rushing around and his father was getting ready for work. But this morning, the heart of the apartment, the kitchen and living room combination, was empty. Just Fernando. He prepared a bagel sandwich, struggling to find the ingredients in the mess that was the cupboards and counters of his family's kitchen. In fact, everything was a mess in their apartment, but somehow, they still managed to be productive. After warming his creation in the microwave, Fernando ate, thoughts of Khan lingering in his head. He loved it all: his eyes, his face, his voice, his laugh, his distinct personality. Even when he first met Khan, he felt a slight attraction to him. He smiled softly as he headed back to his room to get ready for school.

His room was a mess. Used tissues sprinkled on the bed, an empty container of ice cream, an unmade bed, clothes on the floor, all remnants of his depressive episode the previous day. He ignored them and searched his drawer for clothes. After he decided on his outfit, a red shirt, a black jacket, and jeans, he took off his pajamas and changed into it. Then, he headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face. Usually, he would dance or admire himself in the mirror, but he was not in the mood today. He slicked his hair back like he did every day, and sprayed a bit of cologne. He always felt the need to smell good, even if it was considered over the top. He winked at himself in the mirror, headed back to his room to pick up his bag, then left to walk to school. Fernando closed the door behind him, not sure what to expect from the day ahead of him.

As soon as he arrived at school, he got his textbook and headed to his first class. He felt no need to socialize with his friends at the moment; he did not want to be late and he still felt slightly embarrassed. Science was boring although the teacher, Mal'Damba, was fun to annoy. He was one of the strangest teachers Fernando ever had, but his tablemate, a shy girl named Ying, was nothing special. She never said anything to him and would always work on her own, even in a lab or group project. She was already there studying out of a notebook when Fernando sat down. Fernando decided she would be suitable to talk to, since they had a couple of moments to spare.

"Hola, Ying," he greeted.

"Oh, hi Fernando."

"How's your morning going?"

"It's fine, and you?"

"Well I think today is going to be a great day!" Fernando grinned. Deep down, he knew today might be challenging. His heart still hurt over Khan. But he recalled one of the most important things he learned from his family: to be positive. Even if times were hard, they always stayed optimistic. Fernando applied this to his own hardships, always smiling and staying positive through his own internal struggles.

"Oh, well, I think you're right," Ying responded.

"Ying, I know I am." She giggled.

"Well, alright then, today will be a great day!"

He smiled as the bell rang. That short conversation cheered him up. Being hopeful almost always made him feel better. Mal'Damba stood in the front of the classroom, waiting for the rambunctious students to quiet down. Fernando stared down at his desk, noticing some graffiti someone had etched into the desk. "This class is shit," it read. That made Fernando chuckle. _Agreed,_ he thought to himself as he turned back to the teacher. The slender, dark-skinned man cleared his throat.

"Alright, I hope you all know your lab report is due today," he started. Some students started to frantically search their backpacks. Ying turned to Fernando and mouthed, "Do you have yours?" Fernando shrugged in response.

"You guys knew about that, right?" the teacher teased. Fernando didn't. Or did he just not remember it?

"Put your lab reports in the tray on my desk, and then we'll start the lesson." Fernando searched his backpack, but found nothing. He decided to ask about it after class, hoping he could get an extension. Ying gave him a concerned look when she sat back down and realized that he had not turned anything in. After that, Mal'damba started his lesson. Class was pretty uneventful, but Fernando decided to take notes and pay attention, since there was nothing better to do. Right before the bell rang, when Mal'Damba had already ended the lesson, Fernando approached his desk.

"Yes, Fernando?" the teacher asked, a slight tinge of annoyance in his raspy voice.

"Uh, I was absent yesterday, I think I missed the lab report," he started. Mal'Damba sighed.

"I told you all about it when we started the lab on Monday. Yesterday was a day to finalize results and start the report," he explained.

"Oh, well, can I get an extension?"

"No."

"Why not? I missed a day," Fernando argued.

"This is the third time you've missed a lab, don't try to pull out any new excuses," the teacher spat. Fernando decided it wasn't worth it to argue anymore, even if his grades suffered.

"Alright then." He headed out of the classroom, into the hallway, to his locker to put away his textbook, and onto the next class, English.

Fernando hated English the most out of all of his classes. To him, words did not have consistent rules, unlike math or his other language, Spanish. He hated the class because it felt impossible to master the rules of the English language. Also, it was boring. About fifteen minutes into class, he pulled out his phone and browsed social media. He decided to send Cassie a text. He wanted to talk to her before hanging out with Khan later that day.

"Hey," he wrote.

"Sup," she responded.

"Nothing. I just need some advice."

"Okay, well, I'm trying to take notes right now. Maybe we can talk during lunch?"

"Bien, ¿dónde?"

"The alleyway by the gym. If people see us talking, they might get suspicious."

"Alright, sounds good to me."

"Pay attention, Fernando."

"Whatever, mom."

Fernando giggled at himself, but then realized he should probably listen to his friend. His grades were all subpar, and in some classes, on the verge of failing. Especially Math and English. He was not fond of either, but he decided today would be the day he started to participate more. Fernando put away his phone and tuned into the teacher's lecture.

Fernando always looked forward to art class, since he loved to draw and paint, ever since he was a child. He walked into class, observing the supplies set up for the day, and sat down at the table he usually sat with. Khan smiled at him, while Skye and Lian ignored him. _Pendejas. _He turned to Khan.

"Hey Fernando," he greeted.

"Hola, ¿cómo estás?" Fernando responded.

"Estoy bien." That surprised Fernando.

"Ah, ¿cómo te la pasaste ayer?" Khan gave a puzzled look.

"Never heard that one before," he responded nervously. Fernando chuckled.

"It's like, uh, I actually don't know if there's an exact translation of it," he explained, "It's kind of like asking what you did yesterday."

"Oh, well, I didn't do anything." Lian gave him a dirty look.

"You went on a date with me, idiot," she cut in.

"That was hardly a date," he argued. She glared at him, and then he submitted. Gloom washed over him as he looked down at his desk. That made Fernando's heart hurt. He didn't like seeing Khan being bossed around by someone as insecure as Lian. Fernando hoped her attitude wouldn't rub off on him.

Suddenly, the bell rang. "Alright class, today, we have our painting lesson, and then you'll get more time to work on your project," Inara started. Fernando, for once, felt prepared for class. He had worked on his sketch for the project already, and was ready to start painting. He absorbed the information Inara gave in her lesson and when it was over, applied it to his project to bring his ideas to life.

He started by painting the smooth, beige sand and the blue ocean water lapping against it. White streaks would mark the crests of the waves. Solid light blue represented the clear sky, with no clouds in sight. The bright Summer sun would beat down on the sand, warming the land. Colorful umbrellas would be dotted on the shore. One in the foreground would shelter three friends. They ate watermelon and sandwiches, enjoying the freedom of summer with each other. All wore smiles on their faces. However, Fernando could not fit all of that detail in one short session. _One step at a time_, he thought to himself.. He started with the basic shapes and colors and would add final touches later. After finishing the background, he took a break to glance at Khan's work.

The details of Khan's sketch astonished him. The football game in the background sparked a special feeling in Fernando. Football was one of the most important parts of Autumn to him, and Khan had perfectly captured why. The excitement, the emotion, it all was in his sketch. His painting was only just beginning to bring his concept to life. Fernando felt his part of the project was now overly simple.

"Wow, Khan, that's really good," he commented.

"Oh, thanks," Khan responded, turning to him. "Yours is good too. You've gotten pretty far, too."

"Gracias," Fernando said, grinning, "I like to think art is my strength." He winked at Khan.

Khan giggled and quickly turned down to his painting to return to working. Fernando smiled. He loved to make Khan giggle like a little girl. Suddenly, Lian looked up at them, giving a suspicious look. Fernando stared at her blankly, and then continued to work on his painting as well.

After class, it was time for lunch, so Fernando headed to the alley where he and Cassie agreed to meet. She checked her phone and leaned against the wall. When he arrived, she looked up and put it away. Fernando leaned against the opposing wall to her.

"So, what brings you to me?" she started.

"Well, I have good news and bad news, what do you want to hear first?" he said.

"You were absent yesterday. I'm assuming that's because of bad news. Tell me that first." Fernando hesitated. He looked at his feet, then back up at Cassie.

"My worst nightmare came true," he started, his eyes somber.  
"God, you're so dramatic, spill the beans already."

"Khan and Lian are dating," he said quickly, turning his head away to hide his grief. Cassie's indifferent expression turned to shock.

"No way."

"Yes way. He told me."  
"I… don't even know what to say. I'm so sorry." She moved closer to Fernando and hugged him.

"Is that why you stayed at home?" He nodded.

"Well, I hope things get better. Maybe being with her more will allow him to realize her true nature?"

"Possibly. She was being a jerk to him today in art." Cassie nodded, then spoke again.

"Alright, now for the good news."

Fernando smiled. "I'm going to his place after school today." Cassie gasped.

"W-That's great, Fernando!"

"I know, right? The best part: it was his idea!" he said, excitedly. Both grinned.

"Oh my gosh, that's so awesome! Good luck with him," she said.

"Thank you, but I don't need it," he responded, winking. She rolled her eyes.  
"Alright, alright, let's go back to the cafeteria. You go first." Fernando nodded and left, walking towards the cafeteria and to his table when he entered. Vivian and Lex were sitting at the table, as well as Khan and Lian. Khan, who was sitting next to his partner, greeted Fernando as he arrived. Lian gave him a cold look when he sat across from the couple.

"Hey Fernando, where were you?" he questioned.  
"In the bathroom." He hoped Khan wouldn't see through his lie.

"You take a long time-" he started, but was interrupted by Fernando.

"I was just fixing my hair and stuff. Gotta stay looking sharp," Fernando explained quickly, trying to hide the truth. He added a wink and a grin for good measure.

"Alright then," Khan responded. Both him and Lian gave Fernando a suspicious look.

"So, how's your day been?" Fernando asked.

"It's been alright, I guess. You?"

"Nothing much. I actually paid attention in class." Khan chuckled.

"You? Paying attention? I'm shocked." Suddenly, he grunted, then put his arm around Lian. She smirked at Fernando, which made him squirm. The three sat in silence. Then, Skye, who had been absent from the table, returned. She quickly felt the tension in the air.

"Hey, I'm back, woah woah, what's going on over here?" she asked.

"Nothing," Lian responded. She then moved Khan's hand onto the table, revealing that the couple's hands were interlocked. Fernando could see Khan's face turn red as he looked away from the table. He could feel the pain of rejection inside of him. Skye squinted at the couple, then sat down next to Fernando.

"Where were you, anyways?" Lian continued, acting as if nothing was wrong.

"Oh, do you really want to know?" Skye smirked. Lian raised her eyebrows.  
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." Fernando locked eyes with Khan. They knew this tone from Lian and Skye was never a good thing.

"Well, I was spending some time with Viktor…" Lian jumped up from her seat, an enraged expression on her face.

"You what?" she shouted.

"I was with Viktor-"

"You can't do that."

"Why not?"

"That's against girl code. You're a whore."

"Fuck you, you can't tell me what to do," Skye spat. Fernando winced. He hated to see his friends fight like this. Khan's eyes narrowed, then he got up, clearly irritated.

"Enough! You two did this yesterday. Stop arguing, it gets really annoying," Khan commanded. The two girls looked at the much taller man, then sat back down, still glaring at each other. Then, Lian did the most unexpected thing she could have possibly done. First, she looked at Skye, then Fernando. Then, she jumped up and locked her lips onto Khan's.

Both Fernando and Skye gasped, shocked by the sight before them. Khan seemed surprised too, his eyes wide and face red. Then, suddenly, he closed his eyes and fell into the kiss naturally. His brief shock reminded Fernando of an actor messing up his lines, almost as if Khan had made a mistake and was trying to cover it up. He thought he had cried all of his tears yesterday, but he was clearly wrong, since he had a hard time holding back more. He couldn't take it. She owned him.

Lian broke the kiss, then smirked at them both. Nobody said a word. The whole lunchroom was staring. Skye frowned.

"Well, at least I don't have to lie to everyone to get them to like me," the purple-haired girl reacted. Then, she walked off, countless gazes following her out the door. Lian didn't even look at her, instead, she made eye contact with Fernando. The three sat down. Fernando sighed, trying to absorb what just happened. Khan frowned, but kept his arm around Lian. She seemed to have total control over his friend, which disturbed Fernando. Something seemed off about this relationship, and it wasn't just his wishful thinking talking. He could feel it.


	8. Chapter 8

Fernando walked with Khan to the locker room in silence. He was still stunned at Lian and Skye's behavior earlier, and could tell that Khan was too embarrassed to speak; he wouldn't even look at Fernando. Things only got more awkward when they walked into the locker room and realized that they were the only two there. Both slowly walked to their lockers to get their gym clothes, hesitant to change. When he did so, Fernando felt exposed taking off his clothes in front of his crush. He faced away from Khan to hide his reddening face. Suddenly, he heard a noise and turned around. Khan had dropped his water bottle, making a loud noise and splashing water all over him. Fernando picked it up and gave it back to him, grinning to distract him from staring at Khan's glistening chest. He barely resisted his urge as he turned back to his locker to put his normal school clothes away. Fernando turned around to find Khan staring right at him.

"Yes?" Fernando asked. Silence.

"Khan?" He moved closer to the taller boy.

"W-what? Sorry, I spaced out," Khan replied, stuttering. His eyes quickly moved away from his friend.

"I know I'm a lot to take in, it's okay to stare." Fernando winked. Khan chuckled nervously, then drank some more water. Right after that, Buck, along with some other students, arrived.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Buck greeted. He was with a boy Fernando had never met. The boy had spiky white hair, silver eyes, and wore torn jeans with a muscle shirt.

"Nothing much. You?" Fernando asked.

"Just hung out with my friend here. Have you met him?"

"No, I don't think I have."

"I'm Koga," the boy cut in. He spoke in a harsh, intimidating tone.

"Nice to meet you." He and Buck walked to their lockers to get their clothes while Fernando and Khan continued to change. Koga turned to him and spoke.

"So, you're Fernando, right?" He grinned, then faced the boy.

"Yes. I'm not surprised you've heard of me, I'm a big deal." Khan gave Fernando a suspicious look.

"Oh, so you're a hot shot, I see," Koga continued, chuckling. He took off his shirt.

"You could say that," Fernando responded, facing a mirror. He ran his fingers through his hair and examined his face out of nervous habit.

"Gee, you must really love yourself."

"I'd say there's lots to love."

"I can see that." _Is he flirting with me?_ Suddenly, Khan interrupted their conversation.

"What's your issue, dude?" he asked angrily, moving closer to the small boy.

"I should be asking you the same thing."

"Stop messing with him, it's not funny." Khan's eyes narrowed, but Koga remained smug.

"I'm not doing shit. Calm down."

Khan's face turned dark with frustration. "I know what you're trying to do."

The smaller boy paused, then smirked.

"Like hell you do, pretty boy."

Khan gasped, realization washing across his face. His face turned red, then he walked away, heading to the gym._ What the hell?_ Fernando thought to himself as he turned to Koga.

"What was that all about?"  
"Someone's a bit jealous," Koga commented, chuckling. Fernando raised an eyebrow

"I think he misunderstood our conversation," he continued.

"How so?"

"Let's just say you have something he wants." Koga finished changing into his gym clothes, then walked out of the locker room. Shortly after, Buck, who had just finished changing, commented on what he had just witnessed.

"What the hell was that all about?" Fernando shrugged.

"No sé. Let's go to class." Buck nodded, then the two walked to the gym, Fernando still confused about the exchange that had just occurred.

When class was over, all of the students rushed back to change into their normal clothes for the last class of the day. Fernando changed quickly and waited for Khan by the door. Usually, he would stay and chat, but he didn't want to risk being late to class today. After a couple of moments, Khan joined him. Fernando commented about his messy hair, and then they walked to math class together. They sat in their normal seats, and Khan got out a notebook. Fernando did the same and waited for the bell to ring. He decided to chat with the student next to him, a stoic and quiet boy named Strix.

"Hola, Strix," he greeted.

"Hello," the boy responded flatly.

"How's your day going?"

"Fine. You?"

"It's going great. I'm going to hang out with my friend today." Fernando smiled.

"Cool," he said, maintaining his neutral expression.

The bell rang. Barik walked to the front of the classroom, greeted the class, then gave a short review lecture on the contents for the test the next day. Fernando paid attention, but was still lost. He glanced over at Khan, who was listening to the teacher intently and copying down organized notes. Fernando's notes were incomprehensible. The teacher dismissed them to practice for the test. He sat in silence for a few moments, then sighed._ What am I going to do?_

"Fernando? Do you need some help?" Khan asked.

"Yes, a lot." Fernando chuckled nervously.

"Alright, what do you not understand?" He moved his desk closer to Fernando's.

"Uh, what's on the test tomorrow?" Khan laughed, which made Fernando feel awkward. Khan realized he wasn't joking, increasing the tension.

"Well, it's a unit test on the past couple of concepts. Logarithms and all of the conic sections will be on the test." Fernando gulped. He failed the conics test.

"Can you help me with conics?" He asked nervously.

"Of course, let's start with the simple stuff: the formulas." Khan turned to a page in his notebook that was marked with multiple formulas and color coded neatly. Then, he proceeded to explain every formula and the conic that matched with it. Fernando paid attention to everything he said and took notes. There was something about his friend that drew him to listen. He wanted to learn even more, now that he had a new teacher. After going over which equations went with which shape, Khan explained how to graph.

"Alright, when you graph, each number in the equation means something." Fernando nodded.

"The variable K is the vertical shift, H is the horizontal shift, C is the distance from the focus to the vertex, and A and B are the distances of the radii," he explained. Then, he drew some empty graphs on paper, gave some equations, and graphed them, explaining his process for each problem. After about five minutes of teaching, he let Fernando try. He was much better than before, but still not perfect. An accomplishment nonetheless. Once he felt comfortable with the skill, Khan moved onto logarithms.

"So remember, subtraction turns into division, and addition turns into multiplication." He pointed to a neat chart in his notes and continued to explain the material. Fernando didn't look at his notes, just at Khan._ He's so focused… it's kind of cute_, he thought to himself.

"Fernando?" Khan looked back at him.

"You there?" he asked. Fernando snapped out of his trance.

"Yeah, sorry." Fernando felt his face become warm. Khan raised an eyebrow, then continued to teach. Fernando managed to resist his urge to stare so he could absorb the information. He felt a sense of urgency for his grades that overpowered his childish crush. Khan used the same strategy as before; he showed him the method himself, then had Fernando practice it. It proved effective. Before he knew it, the bell rang, and it was time to leave school. Time to hang out with Khan. Fernando suddenly felt nervous, but took a deep breath.

As they walked out of the classroom, Khan started a conversation.

"So, you ready to hang out?" he asked.

"Yep," Fernando responded with a smile.

"What do you want to do, anyways?" Both fell silent as they walked out of the hallway and out to the front of the campus. They stopped.

"Whatever you want, amigo," Fernando answered. Khan sighed.

"I was hoping you knew what you wanted to do," he asked. To Fernando, Khan's submissive nature was odd since he was such an imposing and large person. You'd think someone who looked like that would be more of an alpha male. But not Khan.

"We could go and pick up lunch, and then go back to your place and do schoolwork," Fernando suggested.

"That sounds fun," Khan said, nodding. In reality, Fernando didn't care what they did. He was just happy to spend time with Khan. He hoped it was the same with Khan, since schoolwork and lunch sounded pretty boring.

"How about Magistrate Malts?"

"I don't like that place. Let's go somewhere else."

"Alright. How about Alberto's Tacos?"

"Never been."

Fernando gasped. "Wait, really? Well now we have to go."

"Alright, whatever you say," Khan said, smiling. Fernando led the way off the campus, Khan following close behind.

/

"That place is really good, I'll definitely return," Khan commented, as the two walked in the neighborhood.

"Yeah, I've been going there since I was a niño." Fernando added. They walked in silence for a couple of minutes. Fernando stared into the distance as he followed Khan to his house. He realized that they had to go to practice later, since they had a football game the next day. After that, there was an away game. Next friday was a day off, since it was going to be Halloween. He thought that making the most of the time he had with Khan right now by chatting was a good idea.

"You excited for tomorrow's game?" he asked.

"Yeah, I hope we win," the man responded.

"I believe in us. With strong men like us, and a great leader like you, our team will beat the rest!" Khan smiled.

"I'm glad you're confident in the team. And in my leadership."

"Who else could be the team captain?" Khan looked down and tried to hide a smile. Fernando's face turned red. _He's so cute when he's flattered_, he thought to himself.

"So, you want to stay until we have to go to practice?" Khan asked, changing the subject.

"Está bien. We'll need to stop by my apartment on the way back to school, though," he added. Khan nodded.

"We're here." He turned and walked up a pathway to the door of his house. It was a cute place, a traditional family home. Two stories, lots of room. Fernando wished he lived in a big house. Khan unlocked the door and walked in, Fernando following behind. He scanned the room, noting its cleanliness and simple decorations. Everything looked like it was in its right place. Khan walked up the stairs, which were off to the side. He opened the door to his room and walked in, plopping his bag on the floor. Fernando did the same.

"This is my room," Khan said. Fernando nodded. Everything was organized. His sports equipment leaned against a wall next to a desk with a pen holder and a small lamp. His bed was simple, dark red covers with a couple of pillows. Books were stacked on a shelf, and a mirror hung above his dresser. The drawer was slightly ajar, revealing that all of his clothes were neatly folded.

"Dios mio, your room is neat. How much time do you spend cleaning it?" he commented.

"Well, not too much, I just like my things to be organized," Khan responded, adding an awkward chuckle.

"I wish I had the motivation to clean my room like you do. That place is a mess." Khan sat on his bed and looked at Fernando.

"Do you want to work on something for school?" he asked, changing the subject again. He never liked to talk about himself.

"You said you wanted to work on the art."

"We have time to work on it tomorrow, let's do something else."  
"Let's study for the math test," Fernando suggested. Khan nodded, then got up to get out supplies. Fernando sat in a chair next to a lamp and a table in the corner of the room and watched him. After he found everything he needed, he sat down on the floor. Then, he patted the space next to him.

"You want to study on the floor?" Fernando asked, warranting a nod from Khan. Fernando sat down next to him. "I got the textbook, my notes, lots of paper, and the review packet from earlier this week," Khan said, putting down each item on the floor as he listed them, "We're going to do a ton of practice problems."

"Sounds good to me."

"Let's start with logarithms," he wrote down a problem from the textbook on a piece of paper, "Solve for X." Fernando remembered his practice, and got what he thought was the right answer.

"You did well, except you switched the rules. Remember, if the two are being added, you can combine them and multiply the terms inside of the logarithm. You did it the other way around," Khan explained, correcting his error in red pen. Then, he wrote another problem. Khan smiled when he checked the answer in the book and realized that Fernando's matched. Fernando changed position to lay on his stomach, while Khan leaned against the bed. He kept giving Fernando logarithm problems until they were easy as simple addition. Then, he switched to problems about conic sections. After a couple of graphing problems, he checked on Fernando's progress.

"Are you confident in this skill now?" Khan asked.

"Yes, gracias." Fernando said. Khan nodded, and then started to turn to another page. Fernando decided to make small talk during the break.

"How are you and Lian doing?" he asked. Khan's face turned red.

"Good." He answered slowly with insecurity in his tone. Fernando nodded.

"You guys doing anything special this weekend?" He didn't really want to know, but just wanted to be nice. It hurt to talk about it, but he realized that his friendship with Khan wouldn't progress if he never accepted the truth.

"I don't know yet. She'll probably come storming over on noon Saturday demanding we go to the beach or something," Khan answered, disinterested. Fernando raised his eyebrows.

"Why don't you get to choose?" Silence. Fernando got that suspicious feeling again, that something was wrong.

"She… doesn't let me."

"You should talk to her about it. You're her boyfriend, not her pet." Khan looked up and into Fernando's eyes. Usually, there was a slight shimmer to his golden irises, but Fernando noticed it was gone.

"I can't." There was a pause.

"Why not?"

"I just can't, okay Fernando?" Khan was close to shouting. His eyes darted back down to his paper. Fernando though he saw him cry. He sat up and moved closer to his friend, then put his hand on one side of his head against the bed. Using his other hand, he moved Khan's chin up so that their eyes met.

"You deserve better than that. You know it. Don't let her do this to you," he reassured. Khan's eyes were wet and his face was red. He wouldn't look him in the eyes. Suddenly, Fernando realized the position he was in. His face turned hot as he darted back to his place on the floor. He fumbled to move his paper in front of him, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"You're right." Fernando looked up to see Khan staring at the wall, a tear running down his cheek. "How did this happen to me? My relationship is already crumbling. I'm such a failure." Fernando frowned, then sat up and locked eyes with Khan.

"This isn't your fault. She's clearly unsatisfied with herself, Khan. She's taking it out on you."

"Do I not love her enough?"

Fernando paused, then moved closer to Khan.

"You do exactly what she wants."

"I still feel like I'm doing something wrong."

He looked away. Their knees touched.

"You can fix this, I know you can. And if you can't, don't stress about it."

Fernando placed his hands on the other man's shoulders.

"Really?"

"Yeah. If you, out of all people, can't fix this, nobody can. You know her the best."

There was a pause. Then, Khan lunged forward, wrapped Fernando in his arms, and stood up, taking both into an upright position. Fernando was surprised by this, and let out a quiet yelp. His feet hovered above the ground briefly, but then the larger man put him down, keeping his arms around his shoulders. Khan moved his face to the side of Fernando's head, then whispered in his ear.

"Thank you."

It was a good thing Khan couldn't see his face, because Fernando blushed furiously. His face was still red when Khan let go of him. He was stunned by the sudden intimate moment. He stared up at Khan. That shimmer had returned to his eyes, and his face was red too. Then, the taller man returned his gaze. Both looked at each other for a few moments, then burst out laughing. Fernando tried to hide his embarrassment and nervousness behind the laughter. Khan's laugh sent a warm feeling through his body. After a good laugh, both sat down to return to studying. Khan started to give Fernando more review problems for conic sections, but neither could focus at that point. Fernando was lost in thought about Khan. How good it felt to console him. To be with him. To make him laugh. _Dios mio, how am I going to study like this?_


	9. Chapter 9

Khan continued to help Fernando study until they were both confident in his ability to pass the exam the next day. When Fernando thanked him for all of his help, it made Khan feel warm on the inside. Something felt so right about helping his friend, but he couldn't identify what. His conversation with Fernando earlier about his romantic struggles also made him feel this way. Fernando seemed to know exactly what to say to calm down Khan. He could rely on Fernando, and Fernando could rely on him. He'd never had a friendship like this before. His train of thought was interrupted when Fernando sat up and spoke.

"So, now that we're done, what do you want to do?"

Khan paused. "I don't know. We still have a bit before practice starts."

Both fell into silence. Suddenly, an idea popped into Khan's head. He stood up.

"This is a bit weird, but I have some cookie dough left over from when I made cookies for a bake sale. We could make some cookies." Fernando raised his eyebrows.

"I didn't see you as the baking type, but alright." He stood up and followed Khan down to the kitchen. Khan smiled to himself. He was glad to finally share his secret hobby with someone. Even Lian didn't know about his love for the culinary arts. He knew she would probably judge him, so he kept it secret. Khan didn't like to tell anyone, especially Lian, about his personal life.

Khan opened the refrigerator and took out a plastic bag of cookie dough. He put it on the counter. He decided he would put Fernando to good use.

"Hey, Fernando, could you go get some stuff from the cabinets for me?" he asked as he pulled out a tray. Fernando, who was leaning on the counter, looked up.

"Sí, claro."

"I need you to get the flour, a rolling pin, and some cookie cutters," Khan said, "It'll be thrown in the drawer at the back of the pantry, and the flour will be on a shelf." Fernando nodded. "Aye aye, captain," Fernando called, disappearing into the pantry on the other side of the kitchen. Khan took out some parchment paper to line the tray and the surface they would use to roll the dough. After a couple of moments, Fernando came back with everything Khan had asked for.

"Here's the stuff." Fernando dropped everything on the counter, then continued, "And this!"

Fernando held a red apron that said "Kiss the cook" in white print. Khan chuckled nervously. He felt his face turn warm as Fernando took off his jacket and donned the apron. _That keeps happening to me_, he thought to himself. He felt himself blush a lot lately, especially when someone brought up Lian. But this time, he couldn't figure out what caused the phenomenon. Fernando winked at Khan when he finished putting it on, which only made him blush harder. _Khan, what the hell is wrong with you?_

"How do I look?" he asked, a cheeky grin on his face.

"Great. Now, let's get started," Khan responded, trying to hide his reddening face. Fernando moved to the counter near him.

"We're going to need to preheat the oven to 375°, can you do that for me?" Fernando nodded, then did so.

"Thanks. Since we already have the dough, we just need to roll it out. But first," he paused, then grabbed a pinch of flour with his fingers, "We need to put flour so it doesn't stick." He sprinkled the white powder on top of the parchment paper he put down earlier.

"Do you want to roll it?"

"Yeah, sure," Fernando answered, taking the rolling pin. Khan sprinkled some flour on the dough, then plopped it on the surface. The other man immediately got to work on flattening the dough ball. After a couple of passes, he spoke.

"I think that's good."

"It's too thick. Here, let me do it." Khan took the rolling pin and rolled it to the correct thickness. He glanced at Fernando, who was watching him work. Khan smiled back at him, which caused him to blink and quit watching. _Weird._

"That should be good." Khan put away the rolling pin, then got some cookie cutters.

"Time for the fun part," Khan said excitedly as he set down each cookie cutter, noting their shape. A heart, a star, two different sized circles, and a hexagon. Fernando looked, then picked up the heart-shaped mold.

"I'm going to use this one," Fernando decided, grinning at Khan. He pressed it into the dough and took out the heart shape. Khan used a brush to coat the tray with grease. As Fernando continued to make more cookies, Khan took the hearts and put them on the tray. Fernando turned to Khan.

"You want to make any other shapes?"

"Can you make a couple of stars?"

"Of course." Fernando used the star cutter to make some cookies for Khan, finishing off the batch. There was still some dough left.

"Want to make more?" Fernando asked.

"I think this is enough," Khan responded, putting the tray in the oven. Fernando dusted off his hands. Then, he felt his face and gasped.

"Ay ay ay, I need to shave!" Fernando exclaimed. Khan laughed. Fernando's facial hair had grown out significantly, rather unkempt compared to his normal stubble. He ran his fingers through his hair, then leaned against the cabinets on the other side of the kitchen. He put his hand on the counter next to him, then looked at Khan. His piercing stare sent a shiver down Khan's spine. _What's happening to me?_

"What happened in the locker room today, you know, with you and Koga?" the other man asked. Khan felt his heart start to pound. He remembered how he felt when that white-haired hoodlum started flirting with his friend. Khan didn't like it at all. He felt that people like Koga were never up to any good. They were tricksters. Koga liked to mess with people, and he knew he was pulling his tricks on Fernando, trying to take advantage of his unawareness. _He was being mean, and I was just standing up for my friend. Right?_ Fernando looked at Khan expectantly.

"Uh, what do you mean?" he answered.

"How you lashed out at him?" Fernando answered, raising an eyebrow. Khan gulped. Playing dumb wasn't going to work.

"Guys like Koga… they're…" Khan trailed off.

"They're what?"

"Manipulative. He was trying to manipulate you, trick you." Khan realized how crazy he sounded.

"What? We were just chatting, amigo, nothing manipulative about that. Besides, what do you mean, 'guys like him'?"

Khan looked away, unsure of what to say.

"I- he's a thug, Fernando. You never know what he's up to!" Khan could feel himself lose control.

"A thug? Just because he dresses weird and-"

"He used to be friends with Zhin." There was a pause. Zhin, the most shady guy in school. Definitely going to end up dead or in jail in a couple of years. He was known for dabbling in crime. Khan remembered that Koga was one of his friends before there was a falling out between the group. While the other people from his group seemed normal enough, he could never trust Koga. Something about Koga flirting with a rather innocent guy like Fernando felt wrong to Khan.

"Khan, it was a harmless conversation."

He grunted and crossed his arms.

"I was just trying to look out for you. I don't trust him."

"I trust him. He was just playfully-"

"Flirting?"

"Yeah."

"I think he was trying to flatter you. Either way, I think he's trying to mess with your head."

"Relájate, amigo. I'm not as dumb as you think I am. You can rest assured I won't let him play with my emotions."

"Whatever you say. I just-" Khan paused. He felt his face turn hot again.

"I don't want you to get hurt."

Fernando gave a friendly smile. "I appreciate your concern." Khan nodded. His heart was still pounding. He didn't like Koga flirting with Fernando, but he had to let it go. Something was off about the whole thing. He decided it was time to forget about it for now and go relax.

"Let's go sit down. These cookies will take a bit," Khan suggested. Both headed to the living room and sat in silence. While Khan sat straight on a chair, Fernando leaned back into the couch and put his arms up on the cushions. He leaned back slightly, and wiggled his eyebrows at Khan, making him laugh. _He's silly, _he thought to himself, _I'm glad he's my friend_. Then, Fernando turned his face away from Khan's, hiding it in his arm. He could see a slight blush on his cheeks. Fernando did this a lot lately, Khan noticed. Usually, he would do something strange and move on. But lately, he was becoming more embarrassed and regretful after acting up. Khan frowned. Fernando and regret were two things that didn't go together in his book. Khan decided to return the quirky gesture shortly after Fernando turned back to facing him. Fernando chuckled, his face still slightly red. Both chatted occasionally about school and sports for about fifteen minutes before the cookies were done. Khan took them out of the oven and let them cool, then they tasted their creations.

"These are really good, Khan. Did you make this dough from scratch?" Fernando asked. Khan blushed.

"Yes, I did. Thank you." He bit into one, trying to hide his reddening face. _Why am I flattered so easily?_

"Does anyone else know about your talent?"

"N-no."

"Well, you should be proud, amigo, you have a gift!" He socked him on the arm lightly.

"Alright, Fernando, enough." Khan chuckled and looked away, smiling.

"You don't have to hide," the shorter man said quietly. Khan looked back at him. Those friendly dark brown eyes. His smile. It was all so inviting. He felt safer around Fernando, like he could open up.

"I know, bud." He reached out his hand and ruffled the shorter man's neatly combed hair.  
"Hey! Do you know how much time I spend on my looks?" Fernando snapped back, face red. He frantically adjusted his hairdo. Khan laughed. He liked to see Fernando squirm like that.

"Alright, well, you fix yourself, I'm going to get my stuff for practice, then we can leave, alright?" Fernando nodded and took off the apron, replacing it with his jacket. Khan went upstairs to his room to gather his water bottle and other sports equipment he kept at home, including his practice clothes. Then, he walked back downstairs, joining Fernando at the door. They started walking towards the school.

They took a turn on a street a couple of blocks away from Khan's to stop at Fernando's place. Khan didn't know this part of town too well, so he just followed his friend. He noted the cracked sidewalk and depressing, old buildings. The trees were shrunken and frail, with barely any leaves. There was trash on the sides of the road, and the lawns of the complexes were mostly dirt with sparse, faded grasses. It wasn't the nicest part of their town.

Then, after a short while of walking down that depressing street, they turned and walked up the driveway of a small yellow apartment building. Fernando stopped. "You can come in if you want, but it's a mess." He was clearly nervous, probably insecure about his home compared to Khan's in the nicer neighborhood. "I'll come in." Fernando nodded, then went up the stairs, Khan following behind. He took out a key and unlocked the door.

When they walked in, Khan noted that Fernando was correct. The place was a mess. There was clutter on every surface, boxes of trinkets on the floor, as well as towels and other linens on a table. In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, tupperware containers dotted the counters, and cabinet doors lay slightly open, revealing the mess of foods inside. Fernando kept walking past that scene into a hallway. He turned and opened the door to his bedroom, then walked in, Khan following closely behind. Khan tried not to react to the mess that was confined in his bedroom. His bed was unmade, there were used tissues everywhere, an empty container of ice cream and a spoon, and garments scattered on the floor. He noted that the room had a rather calming scent, despite the mess. It smelled like Fernando. _Probably that cologne he uses._

"Geez, what happened here?" Khan joked.

"Depression." Fernando searched his dresser for practice clothes.

"I can tell. Cassie got you down?"

There was a pause.

"Yeah," Fernando responded flatly, turning away to pick up some sports equipment

"Well, that really sucks, man. What happened, anyways?"

Another pause.

"Just not interested in me anymore." Khan winced.

"Oh, Fernando, I'm so sorry," he said, moving closer to his friend.

"Let's go to practice," Fernando said, avoiding the subject. Khan noted his lack of emotion.

"Alright." The two walked out of his room, out of his apartment, and to school. When they got onto the campus, they headed to the locker room to change. A couple of other players were in there horsing around when they arrived.

"It's Fernando and Khan! What's up, you guys?" Buck greeted.

"Nothing, just finished hanging out for a bit," Khan said. Fernando walked to his locker, then took off his school clothes and put them in.

"Oh, what did you guys do?" Fernando looked at Khan.

"Just got lunch and studied at my place, that's all," Khan responded, nervously. Fernando frowned, then turned away.

"Hey, Fernando, I heard you and Cassie split, what's that all about?" Buck inquired. Fernando sighed, then turned around to face his friend.

"She just isn't interested in me anymore."

"Aw, that sucks. Hope you feel better."

"I will."

"You'll find another girl," Viktor cut in.

"Yeah, hopefully," Fernando responded, sadness in his tone. Khan took off his clothes and started to change when the conversation shifted to him.

"So, Khan, you're with Lian, right?" Viktor asked, awkwardly. Fernando turned away. Khan remembered what had happened at lunch, and was flooded with embarrassment. His cheeks turned red.

"Yeah, why?"

"I'm so sorry."

"Viktor! That's not very nice," Buck cut in. The short, dark-haired man ignored Buck and faced Khan.

"I, of all people, know Lian. At least romantically," he started.

"Yeah, and?" Khan asked.

"She's… a handful."

"I know. I've been friends with her since I was a kid." Viktor winced.

"That's kind of weird," he commented, "How did you two start, anyways?" Khan gulped. He didn't feel comfortable sharing that information. Lian just walked up to him one day and asked him to date her. He did it, no questions asked. He always did what she wanted. He never questioned why. _Maybe I should?_

"Uh, well, we just kinda… started." Viktor nodded slowly.

"Well, good luck. Hopefully you don't do as badly as I did." Buck socked him. Khan finished changing, and so did Fernando. They headed to the field, ready for a productive practice to prepare for the game the next day.

After practice, Khan changed back into his normal clothes in the locker room and bid his friends farewell. On the way back to his house, he couldn't stop thinking about Fernando. He seemed sad after he brought up Cassie. Khan hoped it wasn't his fault his sadness came back. When he got back to his house, he walked up the stairs and opened the door to his room. He was going to just put his stuff away and take a shower, but an unexpected guest stopped this.

"Hey Khan," Lian greeted. She was lying on his bed, wearing that pink robe she adored so much.

"What are you doing in my room?" he asked, frustration in his voice. He really didn't feel like dealing with her right now. Or ever.

"I just wanted to surprise you," she said, in an innocent tone.

"I- I need to take a shower. You need to leave."

"Why can't I stay?"  
"Because I'm going to sleep after I shower." There was a pause.

"I can sleep with you." Khan was about to accept the offer, but stopped himself. He remembered what Fernando told him earlier.

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to."

"But I'm your girlfriend now."

"I don't care. I don't want to sleep with you." She pouted, then got up from the bed. She slowly took off her robe to reveal herself. She was only wearing her underwear underneath.

"Come on, Khan, you know you want this," she teased. Khan's face turned red, and he frowned.

"Lian, stop it. Leave, before I make you."

"God, you're no fun at all." She angrily put her robe back on, then stormed out of his room. He heard the front door slam after some hard footsteps down the stairs. He sighed, then took his pajamas and headed to the bathroom to shower. _Why is she like this?_

When he finished showering, he changed into his pajamas and brushed his teeth. Then, he returned to his room, turned off his light, and slipped under his covers. However, he couldn't fall asleep right away. His mind was full. He didn't understand his relationship with Lian anymore. He not only rejected her to stand up to her demanding nature, but also because he didn't feel sexual attraction to his friend. He never did. Sure, she was pretty, but Khan wasn't attracted to her that way. He didn't know why they were dating. To him, she wasn't anything more than his best friend, and judging by her behavior, she felt the same. Khan felt used, like he was just a pet to Lian. Someone who really loved him would listen to him and understand his feelings. Someone who really loved him wouldn't treat him like a pet, or demand that he follow whatever they say. Someone who really loved him wouldn't randomly ask to start dating for no reason.

Khan sighed, then turned over in bed. He thought of Fernando's warm eyes, his strong, yet pleasant, scent, his stupid smile, and his smooth voice, that accent soothing to Khan during rough times. He hoped Fernando would be proud of him for listening to his advice and standing up to Lian. His confidence helped Khan break boundaries, and he could not thank him enough for it. He was a warm person, both figuratively and literally. When he hugged Fernando today, he felt the warmth in his heart dispersed throughout his entire body. Then, he remembered the conversation about Koga. He still couldn't quite figure out why Koga flirting with Fernando felt so wrong. He didn't want Fernando to get tricked, sure, but there was something else burning inside of him. Something that Fernando had, that he wanted. That charisma, his smooth-talking, he wanted it. He wanted that tone from Fernando. Sure, he was confident, but he never acted like he did with Koga around Khan. He hoped his secret wish would come true, and he drifted off to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Khan woke up slightly sore from practice, but excited for the day ahead. The football game, bonding time with his team, was today. He got out of bed and served himself breakfast with a smile on his face. He cheerfully walked back up to his room to change into his school clothes. Khan wanted to be a little fancy, so he donned a striped button-down shirt and jeans. He went to brush his teeth, and put gel in his hair. He took his bag and walked out the front door, only to be greeted with his partner waiting for him outside.

"Oh, good morning, Lian!" he greeted cheerfully. The white-haired girl gave a cold glare in response.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" she asked, bitterness in her tone.

"I'm just excited for the game today, that's all."

"Cool." Khan offered his hand. She took it and smiled, then started walking with him towards school. After that small gesture, her mood seemed to brighten. She rambled about her position as captain of the cheer team. Khan chuckled at himself, only now realizing how fake their relationship was. The captain of the football team and the captain of cheer. _How stereotypical._

"So I told Cassie that she didn't get captain because she didn't bond with as many teammates as I did. That made her really pissed."

"Oh, that's cool," Khan replied, disinterested.

"Are you even listening?"

"What? Of course."

"Then what did I say?"

"Something about Cassie being a bitch."

"She's a total bitch! She keeps trying to steal my thunder." Lian continued to ramble about meaningless banter between her cheer team friends. He hated when Lian did this. He didn't understand why she always had to start fights and pick on everyone who wasn't up to her standards. Khan remembered what Fernando told him. They were close to school anyways, so Khan decided he could speak up and avoid Lian for the day if things went badly.

"You ever tried leaving her alone?"

"What?"

"Like, not saying anything?"  
"She's the one who starts it! Are you implying I'm the one who starts this stuff?"

"It doesn't matter who started it, it's about who ends it."

"You can't let people get away with messing with you. That's how you end up like Jenos."

"That's what I'm talking about. Just drop that attitude, and maybe there wouldn't be so much drama."

"Are you calling me out?" Lian asked, gasping. She stopped. They were in front of the main building of the school. Khan paused and took a deep breath, hesitant about what he was about to say. _Remember._

"Yes."

"How dare you? How could you say that to your own girlfriend?"

"I'm sorry-"

"No you're not. Get out of my face!" She ran away from Khan, towards her class. He stood speechless. A couple of people around him had witnessed the scene. Embarrassment set in. Khan realized he didn't need to call her out, and that he probably just made things worse between him and his friend. He sighed, shrugged at the spectators, then walked to class. He lost his enthusiastic air to his partner once again.

The lunch bell rang, and Khan got up from his desk and headed to the door. He waited for Fernando to catch up and noted the tension in the classroom. Nobody knew if Inara was taking this assignment seriously or not. The project was worth a large portion of the grade, so Khan hoped his and Fernando's work was enough to bring up the group grade. Lian and Skye both ditched class, so only half of the project was completed. After he caught up, Fernando chatted with him as they walked to their lunch table.

"What do you think we got on our project?" Fernando asked.

"I don't know, but I hope it wasn't a low grade." The shorter boy chuckled.

"You don't have to worry, it's me who does."

"I just don't want it tainting my grades, that's all."

"You'll be fine."

The two sat down at their normal table, but Skye and Lian weren't there.

"So, you think you're ready for the test?" Khan asked Fernando.  
"I think so. Your help might bring up my grade to an acceptable one," Fernando responded nonchalantly.

"I hope so. I think you can do it."

"What about you?"

"I'm a little nervous."  
"Really? Khan? The intellectual? Nervous for a test? Amigo, you don't need to be nervous, you were born ready!" Khan smiled at Fernando's reassurance. He appreciated how he was always there to help him feel more confident.

"Well, thank you."

"Thank you too, for helping and all. I would definitely fail if you didn't come in."

"No problem. Let me know if you ever need me again, I'm happy to help." There was a moment of silence.

"Where did Lian and Skye go?" Khan asked. Fernando shrugged.

"No idea."

Khan now regretted calling out Lian that morning. He realized she was probably in a bad mood and didn't want to see him. He frowned. Fernando's face softened when he noticed Khan's expression.

"What's wrong, amigo?" he asked, moving closer to his friend.

"Nothing, I just-" He paused, breathed in, then continued, "Lian and I got in a bit of an argument this morning, that's all. I hope she's not angry about it."

"She'll get over it."

Khan smiled weakly, then asked Fernando, "Are you excited for the game?"

"You kidding? Of course I am!"

"Me too."

Both fell into silence. It felt strange to not have to deal with Skye and Lian's bickering. Khan wondered if Lian was with Skye. He hoped she wasn't alone to ponder and dwell on her feelings. He didn't mean to ruin her day by calling her out, but he had a feeling that he had. Once again, he felt as if he needed to submit to her. He needed to listen to his own advice and let it be. That way, their relationship would be better. _Right?_

After a rather uneventful break, Khan and Fernando headed to the locker room to get ready for the gym. Both mentally prepared themselves for their test, pushing the game that night to the back of their heads. But Khan couldn't focus; he couldn't drop his train of thought about Lian. _Was listening to Fernando a bad idea? I mean, he did just break up with Cassie, _he thought to himself. As he changed, he kept pondering his decision. He didn't want to create a rift between him and Lian. He just wanted to have more control in the relationship. But Fernando's advice didn't help. He looked towards Fernando, who was changing, and questioned the man's nature. His daring eyes, his determined face, his toned muscles, his smooth skin. What did it all mean?

"Khan? Amigo?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow. Khan felt his face turn hot. Koga was standing next to Fernando, snickering. _Uh oh._

"Yes?" he said, quickly.

"Just making sure you're alive over there." Koga whispered something to Fernando, then socked him on the arm. Fernando blushed, then tackled him, shoving him to the ground. Koga chuckled, then pushed back on the larger man, straddling his waist.

"Don't try that on me, dude. I've got tricks up my sleeve." He smirked. Khan saw Fernando's face turn redder. When Fernando grinned back at him and playfully shoved at the silver-haired man, Khan felt strange. The feeling of something being off returned.

"Cut it out!" Khan shouted. Both men turned to him, confused looks on their faces.

"Chill bro. We're just playing," Koga responded, getting off of Fernando. Khan breathed heavily. Fernando stood up, then walked to Khan, leaning against the locker next to him. Koga started to put on his gym clothes.

"Khan, is something bothering you?" Fernando asked. His face had softened again.

"No, I'm fine."

"You sure?" Khan didn't feel like opening up. Not here, not now.

"Yes."

"Alright." Fernando changed into his gym clothes, then walked out of the locker room. Koga, who had finished changing, smirked at Khan as he walked up to him.

"I know your secret."  
"What are you talking about?"

"Playing dumb I see? Alright, two can play at that game. Bye." Koga headed out to the gym, leaving Khan to finish changing. He was stunned by Koga's interaction with Fernando, as well as what he just said to him. Something felt wrong about playful wrestling between his friend and the thug. He didn't want Fernando to be involved with him in that way. Koga was not to be trusted. He didn't know what the boy meant by knowing his secret. _Maybe he's just making it up to try to intimidate me?_ Khan felt, either way, Koga was playing mind games. He just couldn't tell if he was tricking him or Fernando. He walked to the gym after he finished changing, feeling unsettled.

A couple of minutes after he turned in his math test, the bell rang, marking the end of classes for the day. Khan would normally yell excitedly, but it was quiet in the classroom. Tests were still out. He walked out and waited for Fernando by the door. After a couple of moments, he caught up, and the two began to chat as they walked out of the school building.

"How do you think that test was?" Khan asked.

"It was kind of hard. I finished though." Khan nodded.

"Very good!"

"You know I could have gotten every problem wrong, right?"

"You should be more positive, believe in yourself."

"You're right. I'm positive I could have gotten every problem wrong." Khan chuckled.

"I'm kidding. I think I did a good job. All thanks to you," Fernando reassured, a smile spreading across his face. They stopped, now in the front lawn of the school. Khan was flattered by Fernando's appreciation. They stood in silence for a couple of moments.

"So, where are you headed?" Fernando asked casually, looking away from Khan.

"I'm going to pick up lunch with the team, you coming?"

"Of course!"

"Alright. Let's go." Fernando nodded and followed Khan. They walked off the campus and towards downtown, meeting their friends at a pizza place.

"Hey Khan," Viktor started, "Oh, Fernando? I didn't know you were coming. Hello." Both boys sat down next to each other at the table.

"Geez, way to be subtle, Viktor," Buck cut in, making Khan and Fernando chuckle.

"Did you guys order yet?" Khan asked.

"No, not yet," Buck responded, "We wanted to wait and see what you wanted."

"Okay. How about hawaiian?" Khan suggested. There was a pause, and Buck and Viktor looked at eachother, disgust on their faces.

"Are you joking?" Viktor cut in.

"No."

"We're not getting that," Buck stated, making Khan frown.

"Hey, let the man get what he wants! We can put it as half," Fernando cut in.

"Fine. But you have to eat it too, then," Viktor demanded, making Fernando wince.

"I'll do it," he replied, hesitantly. Khan started to blush. Fernando stood up for him, just like that.

"You don't have to, Fernando," Khan said weakly.

"Amigo, I insist. I know how much you like hawaiian." He turned to Khan and squeezed his hand under the table, making his face turn a deeper red. _What the hell?_

"Alright, t-thanks," Khan stuttered, trying to control himself. Viktor rolled his eyes, and Buck raised an eyebrow.

"So, what do we want on our half?" Buck asked Viktor.

"Meat lover's pizza." Fernando burst out laughing.

"What kind of name is that?" Viktor smirked.

"Your name, if you keep this shit up with Khan." Fernando's laugh died off, and it was his turn for his face to darken. Viktor chuckled when Fernando tried to speak, but nothing happened. Buck looked at both men, confused, then went to order their pizza. Viktor watched Fernando and Khan, the three men sitting in silence. Shortly after, Buck returned and sat down awkwardly, eyeing his friends.

Khan tried his best not to look at Fernando or Viktor. Eventually, his eyes wandered to Fernando, who looked into the street. _Why did he do that for me? He hates Hawaiian pizza. It would have been easier to side with them. Gosh, he's so selfless sometimes_, he thought to himself, his chin in his hand while he stared. Suddenly, Fernando glanced back at him. Khan felt his face turn hot as he quickly turned away. He glanced at Viktor, who gave him a quizzical look. Then, Buck turned to Viktor, his face also confused. Khan pulled out his phone and pretended not to notice them. After a couple of minutes, he glanced back up, only to find Fernando looking at him. He quickly turned away too. This caused Buck and Viktor to both snicker to themselves. After an awkward time, the pizza finally arrived and they ate.

"Ay, dios mio, how do you like this stuff, Khan?" Fernando complained through a bite of pizza. Buck and Viktor laughed.

"You did this to yourself," Buck teased, chowing down on a tasty slice of pizza crammed with sausage, pepperoni, and beef.

"Let a man complain, Buck." The four continued to chat over the meal. When they finished, they walked together back to the high school. They waited by the locker room, excited for the game ahead. More teammates trickled to the area, as well as some cheerleaders. Lian was with the team, and Khan tried to talk to her, but she quickly shot down his attempts. He chatted with Skye and learned she was, in fact, not with Lian at lunch. She told him that she was in a teacher's room asking for help, and that she didn't know where Lian was. That didn't help Khan, and he was still confused as the girls left. When Coach Terminus arrived, the football players all headed into the locker room to change into their uniforms. The game was to start soon, and everyone was antsy. The rest of the team quickly changed and headed towards the field. Only Khan and Fernando remained.

"You nervous?" Khan asked, walking up to Fernando. Fernando exhaled.

"Just un poquito, you?"

"I'm always a little nervous. But I have a good feeling about tonight. We can do this."

"Well, you're going to do great, no matter what," Fernando pointed out.

"Why, thank you." Khan put on the uniform shirt, then continued.

"I believe in you too, Fernando." The dark-haired boy gave a warm smile.

"Oh, I know," he teased, putting his hands at his side and puffing out his chest. Khan smirked. He decided to have a little fun with his friend. He shoved his chest so that he landed against the locker. Khan grinned mischievously as he put his hands on the locker, just above Fernando's shoulders. The shorter man stood in shock for a couple of moments, then his face turned red.

"What was that?" he asked, in a deep voice.

"Uh- I- Let me go!" Fernando stuttered, struggling to respond. Khan smirked and chuckled.

"Alright then." He moved his arms away, paused, then realized the awkwardness of the situation. Suddenly, Fernando burst out laughing.

"You're a riot, Khan," he said through laughter.

"What do you mean?" He paused.

"I don't know, it's just funny when you try to be all macho." Khan chuckled, pretending to understand. _Does he really think it's funny? _Khan didn't know how to feel.

"Alright. Let's go to the field," Fernando suggested as he put on his shirt. Khan nodded, then started walking out. Fernando followed.

"Here goes nothing."

Khan took the long walk home after the game alone. He would have had Lian to come with him like she usually did, but he couldn't find her after the game. There were people everywhere: players, cheerleaders, band members, and students filled the area around the field. They won, so everyone wanted to linger to chat and congratulate. The locker room was slightly more peaceful, but still rife with rowdy football players on an adrenaline rush. After everyone took off their clothes, they got in a circle and chanted loudly. Khan loved his team, but the chaos was overwhelming. He managed to say goodbye to his friends and have a quick chat with Fernando before he took off. Khan was exhausted, so he didn't want to stay for too long. When he got home, he walked straight up the stairs and into his room. After laying on his bed for a couple of minutes, he heard a knock on the door downstairs. He sighed, got up, went down the stairs, opened the door, and was met with the white-haired girl staring back at him.

"Yes?" he asked, trying to be polite.

"Let me in." She crossed her arms and looked at him with contempt. He did so, then the two headed upstairs. _Oh dear, what does she have to say? _As soon as the door closed behind them, she sat down on his chair, crossing her legs and looking him in the eye. Tension rose, and Khan felt anxiety brew inside.

"What's wrong, Lian?" he asked nervously.

"You tell me."

"Don't do this, please."

"Don't do what?"

"Lian, stop it."

"What am I doing, Khan? Besides making you admit your own faults?"

"I'm sorry, okay? Is that what you want?"

"Sorry for what?" _Am I really going to cave in again?_

"I'm sorry for calling you out this morning." He paused. She looked at him expectantly as he sat down on the bed. Then he continued.

"I was just trying to help you calm down, you know, I don't want you to be upset-"

"You don't want me to be upset? Then why did you call me out in the first place? In front of everyone?"

"Lian, please-"

"Don't 'please' me, Khan. You need to listen to yourself. You told me to not say anything to Cassie because I didn't need to, but you didn't need to call me out. You're a hypocrite."

"Lian, listen. It's different."

"How?"

"You started the drama with Cassie. I didn't do that with you."

"What are you talking about? You're the one who started it by attacking me."

"I was just trying to-"

"Quiet. You knew what you were doing. You only wanted to call me out to feel better about yourself, to try to feel like you have control over me. You want to lecture me. I'm not letting you do that. You can't control me." Khan remained silent. He didn't know what to say. He felt as if he had just been torn apart from the inside. She exposed his major weakness and turned his own conscience against him in one fatal blow. He hid his face, not seeing her get up and move towards him. She took his chin in her hand, and moved him to face her and her cold, icy blue eyes.

"I'll forgive you on one condition," she stated.

"What's that?"

"Let me stay the night."

Khan couldn't refuse. If he did, he felt his relationship with Lian would be ruined. He gave a weak smile in an attempt to hide his dread.

"You can stay." She grinned, then jumped onto him, pushing him back onto his bed. She hugged him, then let him get up to change into his pajamas and wash up. After that, they got into bed together. Lian fell asleep quickly in Khan's arms. In the darkness, he could hear soft sobs from Lian and feel her tears wetting his chest. He didn't know what still had her down, but he ignored it and tried to fall asleep. After a long time of thinking over the day and week that had just passed, he drifted into an unsteady slumber.


	11. Chapter 11

Buck woke up the day after the game uplifted and ready to have a relaxing Saturday. The feeling of triumph from winning the game the night before lingered. But a feeling of friendship stuck out above the triumph. He remembered that Jenos was at the game and had congratulated him afterwards. Buck found him on the backside of the bleachers as he was walking back to the locker room. Jenos gave him a warm smile and a hug. Buck smiled to himself, then got out of bed to get some breakfast. He wondered if Jenos was busy that day. He wanted to spend some time with him. After he poured himself a bowl of cereal and sat down, he took out his phone and texted Jenos.

"Good morning, Jenos," he wrote, "I was wondering if you wanted to hang out today." Buck started to eat his breakfast. He put down his phone and thought of any ideas for what they could do together. He didn't really care that much, as long as Jenos was happy. A couple of moments after he finished his cereal and washed his bowl and spoon, he got a reply from his friend.

"Hello Buck. I am sorry, I can't hang out today. Does tomorrow work for you?"

Buck frowned slightly, then responded.

"Yes, I can do tomorrow. Your place or mine?"

"Mine."

"Alright."

He continued to text Jenos as he walked up the stairs to freshen himself up.

"So, what did you think of the football game?" he typed.

"It was a lot of fun. I liked watching you play." Buck smiled. He didn't think Jenos liked sports that much, but he was happy that he came to the game for him.

"That's good."

"You are very skilled, Buck." His face turned red as he sat down on his bed.

"Why, thank you. I'm really glad you made it over."

"No problem. Anything for my best friend." Buck smiled through a sigh as he leaned back. He was glad to have someone like Jenos by his side. He didn't mind that they had become closer lately and that he had left his old friends for him. Buck didn't want to be friends with people who didn't accept others, anyways. He sat on his bed thinking about his friend for a while, and then he got another text. He checked his phone and saw that it was from Fernando.

"Buenos días, Buck. Some football kids and I are going to the beach today, want to join us?" Fernando asked.

"Yeah sure, where are we meeting and when?" he replied.

"We're going to meet at the end of Serpent Street, right by the boardwalk, at 12:30."

"Sounds good. I'll be there."

After that, Buck browsed social media on his phone. Nothing interesting. He played games and laid down for a while before he started getting ready to leave. Around noon, he changed into his swim trunks and threw on a white shirt, sandals, and sunglasses. Then, he headed out of the house, making sure to let his parents know he was leaving and would be back later that afternoon. His mother made him go back and pack a bag full of sunscreen, money, and snacks. After that, he walked downtown and towards the coast, ready to have a good time.

Buck arrived at the end of the street and was met with Fernando and Viktor. He wore a confused look as he approached his teammates.

"I thought you said there were 'friends'? As in plural?" he asked Fernando.

"Well, Khan cancelled. The others never said they would come in the first place."

"Alright, then." Buck glanced at Viktor, who seemed annoyed.

"Let's go find a spot," Fernando suggested enthusiastically. The group moved towards the beach, searching for an open space to put down their towels and bags. Eventually, they found one, then sat down.

"Want to go swimming?" Fernando asked the two, taking off his shirt.

"No," Viktor responded flatly. Buck sighed and took off his shirt to put on some sunblock.

"What's got you in such a pissy mood, man?" Buck asked Viktor.

"Khan cancelled. I bet it was for Lian." Fernando rolled his eyes and started putting on some sunscreen.

"We can still have fun without him," Buck responded.

"It's not about that. It's about her. She's already sunk her claws into him, I can feel it." Fernando gave a worried look, then faced away from them. What does he know?

"I hope that's not it," the man added, sadness in his tone. Then, he walked towards the water. Viktor shot a confused look at Buck.

"I think he knows something about Khan that we don't," Viktor started.

"Like what?" Buck asked.

"I don't know, I just know they've been talking more."

"Yeah, true. They hung out the other day, didn't they?"

"Yes. You think Khan told Fernando something about him and Lian?" Viktor gave him a curious look.

"Possibly."

"He's been acting weird lately too. Ever since he and Cassie broke up, he hasn't been as cheerful." Buck frowned.

"I noticed, too."

"Something fishy is going on, I can feel it." Viktor paused and put his hand on his face. "I just don't know what."

"Well, I don't think it matters that much. I think Khan is strong enough to resist her influence." That warranted a chuckle from Viktor.

"I couldn't. I needed someone to… to wake me up. I don't have much faith in him."

"Wait, what do you mean by 'wake you up'?" Buck asked, giving a curious look. He sighed.

"Not important. I'm just hoping he doesn't cave so easily like I did. She really screwed me up in the head when we were together."

"You don't say?"

"Shut up." Buck was at first slightly surprised at his attitude, but then realized he only told him to shut up because Fernando was coming back. They both stopped talking and acted like nothing had happened while he was gone.

"You guys going to join me?" he asked.

"Yeah, we were going to come down in a couple of moments," Buck responded.

"Alright." He headed back down to the water. Viktor and Buck gave each other an unsure look, then followed him down to the shoreline.

After a short while of swimming in the ocean, the three went back up to sit in the sun. They laid down on their towels in silence. A couple of minutes later, Buck heard Fernando say something, so he sat up and faced him. He was saying hi to Khan and Lian, who had just arrived at the beach. Buck's mouth opened in shock. Viktor sat up as well, saw the couple, and exchanged a surprised look with Buck. Fernando chatted with the couple as if nothing was wrong. When he was done, he laid back down and faced the sky. Buck stood up, then told his friends he was going to get some water from the public bathroom area. Viktor nodded.

"You can just say you're going to take a shit, man." Buck chuckled then walked away, heading towards the building with the bathrooms. After a short walk, he made it and went inside the men's bathroom. He wasn't going to use it, he just wanted to be inside. The usual warmth of the beach was nice, but right now, it was sweltering outside, and he needed some shade. He looked at himself in the mirror._ Gosh, I'm already turning a bit red, he thought as he prodded at his skin._

"What are you doing?" The familiar russian accent made him jump. He turned around to see his friend in the doorway watching him.

"Just checking my skin, that's all." The dark-haired boy sighed.

"I can't believe he really canceled on us for Lian."

"Isn't that like, illegal? Bros before hoes?"

"Buck! This is serious!"

"Yeah, I know, sorry."

"I think she really does have control over him. She would do the same thing to me, make me cancel on my friends to spend time with her." He put his hand on his temple and leaned against the wall.

"But why him? Aren't they best friends?"

"Right? I thought it was weird when they got together too."

Both stood in silence for a couple of moments. Then Buck gasped.

"Wait, you left Fernando alone, didn't you?"

"Yes, why?"

"We need to go back. We can't just ditch him like that!"

"Alright," Viktor responded as he walked out of the door. Buck followed him, both heading back towards their spot. Buck didn't want to say it, but he wanted to go back because he was concerned about Fernando. He was relieved when they got back to their spot and the couple was away. Viktor and Buck sat down on their towels. Fernando, alerted at their return, sat up and faced them.

"You both went to the bathroom?" he asked suspiciously.

"Yeah. Sorry." Viktor responded. Fernando raised an eyebrow, nodded slowly, then looked towards the coast. Buck followed his gaze and saw him stare at Lian and Khan together. She was smiling as he carried her in a bridal carry through the water. Fernando sighed then laid back down, a tinge of gloom in his expression. Buck looked at Viktor, who shrugged. He laid back down, closed his eyes, and listened to the crash of waves on the shore. _What the hell is going on with him?_

/

When Buck awakened from his nap, the sun was lower in the sky and the tide had changed. _I must've been out for a while,_ he thought as he sat up and turned towards Fernando and Viktor. Both were awake and chatting. Khan and Lian, who were under an umbrella a short distance away from Fernando, were napping. She leaned against him, his arm around her waist. The boys both faced away from the couple, clearly trying to avert their eyes. He decided to ease the tension by joining the conversation.

"Hey guys, you want to go back down to the water?" Buck asked.

"We were going to leave soon," Viktor started.

"Just a couple of minutes?" Buck pressed on.

"Sure," Fernando replied, standing up and walking towards the water. Viktor and Buck followed behind. They cooled off in the ocean water for about fifteen minutes, then got out to dry off and get ready to leave. Buck noted that Khan and Lian were now awake. The couple glanced at them, then continued to chat in whispered tones. _Strange_.

By the time the boys had finished drying, Lian was closer to her boyfriend, whose face was slightly red. As the friends chatted and packed away their stuff, he noticed Fernando's face was red as well, and he refused to look in the direction of the couple. They lingered for a bit to keep chatting before they left the beach. Their conversation ceased when Buck noticed that Lian was looking right at the friends. Viktor and Fernando both turned around and made eye contact with the white-haired girl. She smirked, then turned back to Khan. Khan's scared eyes moved towards them. His expression was apologetic, almost regretful, as Lian kicked her leg over his and straddled him. The three exchanged a confused look, then turned back to see Lian making out with Khan. He looked shocked and embarrassed, while his partner was smug and confident. Fernando faced away, then started walking towards the boardwalk. Viktor and Buck followed in silence.

When they reached the boardwalk, Buck and Viktor both bid farewell, while Fernando gave a silent wave, still not facing his friends as he walked away. Viktor and Buck each went towards their homes from Serpent street. As Buck walked home, he wondered about Khan and Fernando. _Was Viktor right? Does she really have that much control over him? Why was Fernando acting so weird today? Does it have something to do with Khan?_ His mind was filled with questions, but no answers. He just hoped his friends were okay.

When he got home, he received a text from Viktor.

"Hi Buck," it read.

"Hey," Buck responded, putting down his bag.

"Did you have fun today?"

"Yeah, you?"

"Sure, but I'm concerned about Fernando and Khan."

"Me too." There was a pause.

"You think you could be right about Lian?"  
"Judging by Khan's behavior, yeah."

"What do you mean?" Another pause.

"He woke up before Lian, before you woke up. He got up and chatted with us, then went back to laying with her. Said she would get pissed if he was talking with us."

"Weird. He also looked, like, super not into it when Lian kissed him."

"I noticed that, too."

"I just hope they figure it out." Buck sighed as he walked upstairs to his room and started putting away his stuff. Right as he finished and got a change of clothes to change into after he showered, Viktor responded.

"And what was up with Fernando? He was really off," he wrote.

"Yeah, I know. He seemed depressed."

"You think it has anything to do with Khan and Lian?"

"Maybe he's still sad about Cassie?"

"The couple could have reminded him of what he lost."

"Who knows. I just hope he'll be fine."

"Me too." Buck put away his phone, walked to the bathroom with his pajamas, took a long shower, and changed into said clothing. It was dark, but still not late enough to go to sleep, so he went to his room and sat on his bed staring at the ceiling. After a couple of minutes, he checked his phone. Nothing. He decided to text Jenos out of loneliness.

"Hey." He waited for a couple of moments, then got a response.

"Hello. How was your day?"

"Good, and you?"

"Relaxing."

"That's good. What did you do?"

"A lot. Maybe we can call, and I can tell you all about it?" Buck started to type, but stopped himself. His face turned red as he realized what Jenos had suggested. A call? He hadn't ever talked on the phone with Jenos for long. The concept was endearing. Hearing his voice, his expressions, rather than relying on some text. He took a breath, then responded.

"Sure, why not?" A couple of seconds later, his phone rang. He picked it up, and started talking.

"Hi Buck!" Jenos greeted, in an excited tone.

"Hello. So, what did you do today?"

"I got to go to the science museum," he started. Jenos proceeded to go over his day. Buck learned that he went to the museum with his parents, then to the library on his own to get some books, then to a cafe to get his favorite food, broccoli soup. Normally, to someone like Buck, this wouldn't be a lot for one day, but he was interested, knowing that Jenos did not leave the house as much as he did. Buck listened intently, then spoke.

"That sounds really fun, Jenos."

"I know, right? I got to do a lot today!" Buck smiled to himself. He liked hearing him excited like that. It seemed that little things like soup and books sparked joy in Jenos. In that regard, Buck wished he could be more like his friend sometimes.

"What about you?" he asked. Buck started to explain his day. He checked the time, and it was starting to get late. However, he wanted to stay up and talk with Jenos, so he continued to speak. Suddenly, he was interrupted by his friend.

"So sorry to interrupt, but you should go outside and look at the stars, they're really nice right now." Buck nodded, then walked outside. He knew his parents wouldn't care that much, as long as he didn't leave.

"I'm outside," he stated as he opened the back door and walked out onto the patio.

"Wait, you actually did it?" Jenos asked, quietly.

"Yeah, of course." There was a short pause, then Jenos giggled.

"I didn't expect that. Alright, well, look up." Buck followed his order, quickly noting the clarity and beauty of the night sky.

"You see the formations?"

"No, not really."

"Alright. Let me find one… okay. You see the one that looks like a figure eight, but diagonal?"

Buck searched the sky.

"Yeah, I see it."

"Well, it's supposed to be an hourglass. There's a whole long story about how it represents the amount of time left until the world ends. The gods put it up there to constantly remind us, to humble us. We're all going to die one day. The hourglass is the representation of that."

"That's actually really cool," Buck replied as he laid down on a lawn chair. Jenos continued to tell the stories behind certain constellations. Jenos always liked to look at the night sky and spot every constellation when they were kids. However, he had never told Buck the stories behind each one before. To Buck, there was something pleasant about the image of Jenos sitting on his bed explaining the same stars he could see from his backyard. Buck was calm, so calm that he could almost drift off to sleep. He yawned, which alerted Jenos.

"Buck? Are you tired?" he asked, concerned.

"A little."

"Oh, I shouldn't keep you up so late."

"No it's fine, Jenos."

"Buck…"

"You can tell some more, then I'll go to sleep."

"I'll do one more, one that's really important to me."

"Okay."

"You see the two different sized triangles connected at their points?" Buck took a couple of moments to search for it.

"Found it."

"It's supposed to be two hearts. The hearts belonged to two best friends who lived long ago. They were very different, shown by the different sizes and shapes of the triangles, but still loved each other very much. They were partners for their whole lives. Eventually, one died in battle, and the other died of an illness while far, far away from his friend. They never got to say goodbye to each other. The gods put them up in the sky so they could be together for all of eternity."

Buck stared at the sky in silence. He realized why the story was so important to his friend. To him, it described their friendship.

"That's really sweet," he replied softly.

"I know. I like it the most. It-" he started.

"Yes?"

"It reminds me of us." Buck blushed as the realization that they both had been thinking the same thing washed over him.

"That's what I was thinking."

"Really?"

"Yeah." There was a pause.

"I'm glad." Buck yawned.

"Me too."

"You should go to sleep now."

"You too."

"Alright, I will. Goodnight."

"Night." Buck ended the call, a smile fresh on his face. He walked back upstairs to his room, then went over his covers, making sure to put his phone on the side table. The calming vibe of his conversation with Jenos and thoughts of his caring friend helped him drift into a peaceful slumber.


	12. Chapter 12

Buck opened his eyes and gazed at the morning sun shining through his windows. He yawned, stretched, and then sat up in his bed. The events of the day and night before were still clear in his mind. He smiled as he recalled the warm, fuzzy memory of his call with Jenos. They were the two hearts in the stars. He wore a slight grin on his face as he got out of bed and went downstairs to get some breakfast.

His mother was already awake and cooking breakfast. The scent of cooking meat and eggs graced Buck's nostrils.

"Good morning, Mom," he started.

"Oh, hello. How was your day at the beach?" she asked.

"It was good." He didn't feel like going in depth. "You making breakfast?"

"I'm making some for your father. Want me to make more for you?"

"Yes, thanks Mom." There was a short pause as she turned around to chop some potatoes.

"So, I heard you talking on the phone last night." Buck gulped.  
"Yeah, I was talking to Jenos." She raised an eyebrow, then turned back around to put the now diced potatoes in the pan.

"Jenos? That's a name I haven't heard in a while."

"I've started to hang out with him again."

"That's good. I like him, he's a cute kid."

"Sure," Buck mumbled as he sat down at the counter. After a couple of minutes, breakfast was ready. His father joined him at the counter, and his mother served them both, then herself. They chatted over the food. Buck finished, then got up and washed his dish.

"I'm going to go back up to my room and get ready," he stated.

"Get ready? For what?" his father asked.

"I'm going over to Jenos' house in a bit." His parents looked at each other.

"Alright then. Have fun," his mother replied. He walked back upstairs, brushed his teeth, and changed into some clothes for the day. After that, he sat down on his bed and texted Jenos.

"Good morning, Jenos. What time would you like me to come over?" he wrote. After a couple of minutes, he got a response.

"Hi Buck. How about 11:00?"

"Sounds good. See you then." He flopped back onto his back and glanced over at the clock. It was only 9:00. He picked up his phone and browsed his social media. After scrolling through a dozen or so pictures, one finally stood out. It was posted by Lian and was of her and Khan at the beach. He carried her in his arms as she smiled up at him, the low light of the setting sun highlighting their carefree expressions. Buck sighed. _You would think they were the perfect couple_, he thought to himself as he put his phone away. He decided to do something productive, rather than frustrate himself over matters that had nothing to do with him. He sat down at his desk to start working. Buck finished homework and other assignments that hung over from the week before. He stopped at around 10:45, giving himself plenty of time to walk to Jenos' house. He left, making sure to bring money just in case and to let his mother know he would be back soon.

Jenos' street was a couple of blocks away diagonally, a short enough distance to go by foot. Buck admired the way the morning light made everything clear and bright. Birds chirped, a slight breeze tugged leaves and grasses, and everything was covered with dew. A perfect Sunday morning. Soon enough, he reached his friend's small home. He approached the door, walking up the cobblestone path surrounded by well-kept grass, then knocked lightly. Jenos' mother answered after a couple of moments.

"Hi Buck! Jenos is just out in the backyard. Come in." She opened the door wider to let the muscular boy inside. He greeted Jenos' mother, then took off his shoes and left them right by the other pairs next to the door. He walked past the living room to the back door, opened it, and walked down to the yard, where Jenos knelt over a flowerbed, unaware of his friend's presence. Buck grinned as he realized his opportunity. As Jenos got up and turned around, Buck jumped and playfully tackled him to the ground. Jenos let out a soft yelp as he hit the grass. Jenos' clear blue eyes met Buck's green ones, and he exhaled.

"Oh, it's just you," Jenos said, relieved. Buck chuckled.

"I'm not a serial killer," Buck joked. The smaller man gave a playful smirk, which made Buck's face turn red. Jenos, in response, let out a nervous laugh and looked away from the man looming over him. Buck realized the awkward position they were in, and took this as a signal to get off of his friend. He stood up, then helped the other boy onto his feet.

"So, what are you up to?" Buck asked, changing the subject.

"Just tending to my flowerbed, that's all." Buck nodded. Jenos wore a dirty white t-shirt, thick rubber gloves, and shorts. He'd never seen Jenos in such an outfit. His friend knelt back down and picked some weeds out of the flowerbed. Buck relaxed into a chair nearby and observed. Clearly, Jenos put a lot of effort into maintaining these plants. Vibrant flowers bloomed from bushes of healthy green leaves, the grass was soft on Buck's feet, and the whole area had a pleasant herbal smell.

"How much time do you spend out here, anyways?" he asked.

"A couple of hours every weekend," Jenos answered, still facing his plants.

"That's a lot."

"It's not too much," Jenos responded with humility.

"Well, it definitely pays off."

"Thank you." Buck continued to admire the beauty of Jenos' work. Eventually, the other boy finished tending to the flowerbed and stood up once again.

"I'm going to go change, then we can do something, okay?"

"Alright. I'll wait out here." Jenos nodded and walked inside. After a couple of minutes, he returned in a casual outfit.

"So, what do you want to do, now that you're done?" Buck questioned, getting out of his chair.

"I was thinking we could hang out in town then grab lunch at that deli on Main street."

"Sounds good to me." There was a pause as Jenos fell silent. Buck could tell he was thinking when his eyes pointed upwards, his brow furrowed, and his lip curled slightly. It was almost cute.

"Maybe we could go thrifting?" he suggested.

"Alright, when do you want to leave?" Buck replied.

"How about now?"

"Let's go." The boys rushed to the back door then went into the house. Jenos asked Buck if he preferred driving or traveling by foot, to which he responded driving. He grabbed his car keys, then headed outside to the car, Buck following close behind. The two got into their seats, and Jenos paused.

"So, there's two stores on Main street, another on Ascension, and one last one closer to the beach, on Wekono way," he explained. "Which store do you want to shop at first?"

"How about the one on Ascension, since it's the farthest from the others?" Jenos nodded.

"Alright, Ascension Avenue, here we come." Jenos started up the car and drove east, towards a valley. Ascension was the prominent avenue of the small valley created by some hills where it terminated. There were a couple of stores along the road, almost like a mini downtown. They parked in a cramped parking lot outside of a chain of small businesses, one being the thrift store. As they walked towards the store, Buck noticed Jenos observing the scenery around the town. Soon, they arrived at the store front and walked in. A bell rang when they opened the door, alerting their presence.

"Customers, finally," a deep voice grunted. A tall, muscular woman with short black hair and dyed red bangs appeared from a back room.

"Hello," Jenos greeted.

"Hi. I'm Ash. Holler if you need anything," she answered as she headed back to where she came from.

"Does she go to our school?" Jenos whispered, turning to Buck.

"Yeah. I don't really see her around, but she's in my art class." Jenos nodded.

"Let's start looking around," he suggested as he walked deeper into the store. Both browsed various items such as clothing, decorations, old belonging and trinkets that filled the shelves. After a couple of minutes, Buck spotted a dark blue turtleneck sweater. _This would look good on Jenos_, he thought to himself as he examined the article of clothing.

"Jenos, I found something for you!" he called. The other boy appeared at his side and gazed at the sweater.

"Very nice," he commented, grabbing the sweater and holding it up to himself.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"It would look great on you."

He kept the sweater with him as he walked back to where he was. Buck continued to browse, both for himself and his friend. He found a leather bracelet that he fancied, as well as a relatively expensive watch for a low price. He noted the location of the watch, then headed back to find Jenos, planning to ask Ash about it. Eventually, he found his friend browsing the decorations.

"You ready?" Buck asked.

"Yeah, just a couple of moments. These vases are really nice." He examined a pale blue vase with white flowers painted on it. He picked it up, then approached Buck.

"Alright, I've got everything." Buck nodded, then headed to the counter with Jenos. He put down the leather bracelet, and Jenos put down the sweater, the vase, and a necklace. As Ash rang them up, Buck started a conversation.

"So, I noticed there was a pretty nice watch for only thirty-five dollars, what's that all about?" he asked.

"I don't come up with the prices. I told the owner to make it higher, but he didn't listen. Ridiculous, I know," she complained. Suddenly, the bell above the door rang. The three turned to the door to see a short, slim girl with pink hair and blue eyes wearing a mailman outfit and carrying a bag. Ash grunted and the short girl grinned at her.

"It's me, Ash, your favorite mailwoman!" she greeted with a French accent. The larger woman rolled her eyes, then glared at the small girl.

"Don't try anything this time, Maeve," she spat.

"Chill, I won't." The pink-haired disappeared into the aisles of the store. Jenos gave a confused look to Buck, who shrugged.

"Sorry about that," Ash continued. "But yeah, did you want to buy that watch?"

"Yes. I just wanted to make sure the price wasn't a mistake," he stated. "I'll go get it now."

The cashier nodded, and Buck headed back to where he remembered the watch was. When he got there, he was surprised to find the girl, Maeve, also there. He started to walk towards the table where the watch was, but stopped when he saw Maeve look around in a suspicious manner. She grabbed a handful of merchandise, including the watch, and stuffed it in her mail bag. She started to walk away as if nothing happened. The girl quickened her pace as she approached the exit of the shop.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Ash shouted with anger. Buck realized then what was happening, and dashed past the aisles to the girl. He tackled her to the ground right in front of the door and grabbed the bag from her arm.

"No thiefs allowed in this store," Ash, who had moved from behind the counter, declared. Jenos stood still and wore a shocked expression. Buck still had Maeve on the ground, one arm holding her arm on her back, and the other holding her other arm on the ground. Her cheek was pressed against the dirty floor of the store, and her vibrant blue eyes glared up and Buck.

"Let me go!" the small girl grunted, squirming. Buck smirked, then handed her bag to Ash. She dug out the stolen goods, opened the door, and threw the bag outside. Then, she knelt down next to Maeve's face and looked her in the eye.

"Next time you come, I'm calling the police," she threatened. The smaller girl's face turned white.

"Let me go!" she repeated. Ash turned to Buck and nodded. He lifted his arms off of her, and she immediately dashed outside, grabbed her bag, and ran away from the store. He stood up, and Ash thanked him. She went back behind the counter and finished ringing them up. Buck made sure to purchase the watch. She gave a weak smile and handed them their bag of items.

"Thank you for purchasing from our shop. Have a good day!" Jenos smiled and nodded.

"You too." The friends left the shop and headed back out to their car. They put their bag in the back, then got in.

"That was interesting, wasn't it?" Buck started.

"Yeah. It was cool how you stopped her," Jenos commented, smiling to himself.

"Thanks," Buck replied, looking away and blushing.

"So, where to next?" Jenos asked, changing the subject.

"How about Wekono way?"

"Alright, let's go!"

He started up the car, then they started driving again._ That was one hell of a visit_, Buck thought to himself as they left Ascension Valley.

/

After a much less eventful shopping spree, the two ended up on Main street in a family-owned deli. The friends sat down in the outdoor area of the deli, ready to have lunch. The waitress gave them menus, they ordered sandwiches with pictures that made Buck's mouth water, and waited. Buck noted the almost empty sidewalks and street. It was a calm Sunday afternoon, no crowds of people out in town. In the silence, he admired the cool breeze and the clear blue sky. Eventually, Buck decided to start a conversation.

"So, you think you got everything you needed?" he asked Jenos.

"Yes. I'm glad you came with me, thrifting is much more exciting with a friend." Buck smiled.

"Well, I'm glad you invited me," he replied. Jenos moved his hand to his face, then adjusted a lock of his long hair. He gave a weak grin.

"No problem." Both sat in silence for a couple of moments. Suddenly, Buck felt his phone vibrate.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Let me check this," he apologized. Jenos nodded silently. Buck hated being rude by checking his phone, especially in front of Jenos. He pulled it out and read the screen. A message from Khan saying hello and asking if he could talk right now. Buck typed that he couldn't, but that he could later, then put away his phone.

"What was it?" Jenos asked curiously.

"Nothing, just Khan," Buck replied nonchalantly.

"It could be important," Jenos argued.

"Whatever it is, it doesn't matter right now." Jenos' face turned pink at that.  
"Alright then. You seemed concerned about him yesterday, that's all."

"Don't worry about it." After that, the two continued to chat about other topics until the food came. They ate, Buck paid, they thanked the waitress, and left. Jenos drove to Buck's house, and stopped when they arrived. The two got out of the car, and Jenos gave him his items from the day.

"Alright, I think that's everything," Jenos said, handing him one more small bag.

"Thank you for giving me a ride," Buck said, holding his stuff in his arms.

"No problem. You paid for lunch." He chuckled awkwardly as Jenos got back into his car. He faced Buck, his window down and his hand on the wheel.

"Well then, see you tomorrow?" Buck asked, trying to spark up a conversation.

"Sure." There was a pause.

"You should come sit with my group!" he suggested.

"Are you sure?" Jenos asked nervously.

"Yeah, they're really nice. I think you would like them, especially Ying." Jenos smiled.

"That sounds great. The lunchroom, right?"

"Yes. We're in the middle, towards the back."

"I'll see you then."

"Alright, have a good day!"

"You too," Jenos returned, starting up the car. Buck waved as he drove off, then headed into his house. He walked to his room, and put what he purchased that day on his desk. Then, he flopped down on his bed and pulled out his phone. He browsed social media mindlessly until he recalled Khan's text from earlier, which reminded Buck he should write back.

"Hey, I can talk now," he started. Khan replied immediately.

"I just wanted to apologize for ditching you guys yesterday. Nobody else would respond to my texts." Buck raised an eyebrow.

"I forgive you. But who isn't responding?"

"Fernando and Viktor are ignoring me."

"They'll get over it. They're probably just salty about Lian." There was a momentary pause.

"What do you mean?"

"We're all a little concerned about you, that's all."

"Concerned about what?" Buck rolled his eyes. Khan cared too much about what other people were thinking about him.

"Just how Lian treats you, that's all."  
"You don't need to worry about it." he replied. After that, they stopped texting. Buck spent the rest of his afternoon and night browsing social media and playing video games. He took a shower and cleaned up, then went to bed early to be ready for school the next day. As Buck laid in bed, he looked forward to having Jenos sit with them at lunch, but was slightly nervous about the tensions between Khan, Lian, Fernando, and Skye boiling over. He calmed himself, reassuring himself that he wouldn't fall into the crossfire if anything did happen. With this thought, he drifted into a peaceful slumber.


	13. Chapter 13

Fernando sat down at his desk a couple of moments after the bell rang for his second class. Mondays were hard for everyone, especially Fernando. He could barely stay awake through science. But his next class, history, was much more interesting, therefore it was easier to survive. It was his favorite class behind art. If he ever got bored of the material, which was rare, Fernando could talk to the friends he had in the class. The teacher, Torvald, was older, but healthy and seemingly wise. It was pretty easy to get him distracted by leading him onto a tangent. While other students dismissed him as a glitchy old man, Fernando appreciated his knowledge and paid attention. At that moment, the voices of his friends behind him took Fernando out of his thoughts and prompted him to turn around.

"Shut up! I don't want too many people knowing about it," Viktor snapped.

"It's not that big of a deal," a dark-skinned boy with platinum blonde hair commented. "Everyone's smashed her at this point." Fernando recognized him as Lex, a boy used to talk to him, Lian, and Khan.

"I know, but if it gets around, it'll get back to you-know-who, and she'll go apeshit," Viktor responded. Fernando raised an eyebrow.

"You're still scared of that bitch?"

"Yeah, you should be too, she's crazy."

"You two talking about Lian?" Fernando butted in. Viktor and Lex gave each other a surprised look.

"How did you know?" asked Lex.

"Lucky guess," said Fernando, slowly. Lex gave a quizzical look.

"Sure." Viktor glared at Lex, which Fernando interpreted as a signal for him to shut up. Then, the brunette spoke.

"We're just talking about a rumor that's spreading around," he clarified. Fernando didn't buy it. He opened his mouth to question him, but was interrupted by Torvald.

"Alright, enough chatting, everyone. It's time to start today's lesson." Fernando gave the two a suspicious look, then turned back around to face the front of the classroom, taking out a notebook and tuning into Torvald's lesson. Fernando paid close attention and took detailed notes. His classmates behind him continued to chat, but Fernando ignored it, class was more important to him at that moment. About halfway through class, Torvald got on a tangent about knights in the Middle Ages. While other students tuned out, Fernando continued to pay attention. Like his teacher, he was fascinated with the Middle Ages and the culture of knighthood. Sometimes, he thought that he was a knight in a past life. A great knight in shining armor, on a noble steed, ready to save the day.

Before he knew it, class was over. Fernando packed his bags and said goodbye to Lex and Viktor, then headed into the hall. He was stuck in a different world, one with knights, squires, castles, and royals. The knight always protected the royals from danger. He was the knight. But who was his royal, his prince or princess? Fernando remained in a hazy state as he put away his history book and went to art class. The bubble of fantasy around him popped as soon as Khan sat down at their table. He realized he was not a knight, but a mere high school student with a hopeless crush. If he had a prince, it wasn't Khan.

"Hey Fernando," Khan greeted cheerfully. Fernando remained silent, staring blankly back at his friend.

"You alive?" Khan waved his hand around.

"Yeah," Fernando mumbled.

"Alright. Just making sure." The whole table sat in an eerie silence. Skye, the one who would usually chat the most, was absent, so there was no conversation whatsoever at their table. Lian, who Fernando had just noticed was present, seemed cold as well, not even looking at the two men at her table.

"Okay class, today is a practice day. We're going to focus on drawing people," Inara announced, catching the attention of only a couple of students. "Pencils and sheets are on the table next to my desk. Please use this time wisely; there will be a drawing assignment soon," she added. Fernando nodded, then went to get some supplies. He sat back down and ignored the couple chatting next to him, choosing to draw instead. A few minutes later, he noticed Khan was trying to look over his shoulder.

"What are you drawing, Fernando?" he asked, curiosity in his tone.

"A knight," Fernando responded, not looking at his friend. The drawing was sloppy, but detailed. He made sure to incorporate all of the features and etchings on the armor. The knight held his lance out and stood in an intimidating stance with his face covered by his helmet.

"Cool idea," Khan commented. Fernando mumbled his thanks, and continued working. Khan chatted with Lian, occasionally adding to a quick sketch of a man running.

Eventually, the bell rang for lunch. Fernando silently waited for Khan, who walked with him to their table. Oddly, Lian didn't walk with them, instead, she headed towards the front of the school. The two shrugged it off, got their cafeteria lunch, and sat down at their table. After a couple of moments of awkward silence, Khan spoke up.

"Where do Lian and Skye keep going, anyways?" he asked.

"Skye is probably being tutored. And Lian? I don't know. You're the one who's dating her." There was a pause.

"She doesn't tell me much."

"Have you asked her about it?"

"She doesn't answer my questions." Fernando fell silent, then picked at his subpar meal, trying to distract himself from the sensitive subject. He was still bitter that Khan ditched him and his friends on Saturday. _If he was going to ditch his friends for a girl, she should at least treat him right, he thought to himself._ Suddenly, Khan spoke up again.

"So, do you want to go visit another group?" he suggested.

"Sí," Fernando responded, still not looking directly at Khan. The two got out of their seats and moved to the middle of the lunchroom. Fernando didn't show it, but he was glad to visit another group. He couldn't stand the tension of being alone with the friend he had a hopeless crush on any longer.

/

Fernando could hardly pay attention in math class. Nothing about numbers was appealing, and he couldn't stop thinking about Khan. Fernando realized he was staring at him again, then looked away, trying to hide it. He fidgeted with his pencil and faced the empty page in his notebook, growing increasingly bored. He glanced at Khan out of the corner of his eye. Of course, he was jotting down notes at a million miles per hour and listening to the teacher intently. Fernando forced himself to look down at his own paper. If he was going to slack off, he at least should be careful. He'd slipped up again during gym; Khan caught Fernando staring at his body through the mirror, which made both boys embarrassed. Koga, of course, poked fun at the situation later, but Fernando didn't mind. Even though Koga came off vulgar and insensitive to others, Fernando didn't mind talking to the boy. He was unique, not at all like other friends Fernando had.

"Alright, so that's the end of the lesson," Barik declared, causing Fernando to perk up. He realized he had not taken any notes, then sighed and leaned back in his desk, tuning out Barik's instructions for the class. His head was throbbing, and the noises around him blended into an unintelligible dissonance as he squeezed his eyes shut. He let out a soft grunt as he moved himself up and put a hand on his head. Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder, so he turned towards it, squinting with curiosity. Khan had moved closer to him and wore a worried look.

"Fernando? Are you alright?" he asked quietly. Fernando remained silent. His mind was blank.

"Fernando!"

"I'm fine, Khan. Just a headache."

"Are you sure?" Khan continued.

"Don't worry about it," he grunted, frustrated. Fernando was tired of Khan's overly concerned nature. It felt wrong that someone who had it all was worried about him. Khan always seemed to be looking out for everyone else, even when he didn't need to. It was just too perfect, too much like him.

"Okay," Khan answered weakly. A pang of guilt hit Fernando as soon as he turned away from his friend. He could feel those saddened golden eyes staring at him, but did not return their gaze. He would lose all control if he did. Even just sitting there next to him made him feel a range of negative emotions. The guilt, shame, jealousy, frustration; it was reaching a boiling point. He couldn't stand it anymore, so he asked to go to the bathroom. Barik gave him a suspicious look, but let him go. Fernando walked out of the classroom, and outside into a courtyard of the school tucked behind the science building. He moved behind a column next to the wall, and let out a heavy sigh as he leaned against the stone pillar.

"Hijo de la chingada, why did I do that?" he cursed, the brick wall in front of him bouncing back the sound of his voice. He felt as if he had lost control of himself. "Ay, ay, ay, I can't take this anymore," the Spaniard continued, "I keep messing it all up!" He moved towards the wall, pressed his forehead against it, and dragged one hand down the bricks, the other balled into a fist against said wall. The last thing he wanted was to create a rift between him and Khan with his own anger. Suddenly, the pain in his head surged. His moved both his hands to his throbbing head. Another presence behind him startled him, and prompted him to turn around.

"What the hell are y-" Fernando started, but then stopped, realizing who had approached him.

"Dude, you good?" The familiar flat voice of a short white-haired boy relieved him. He let out a deep sigh, then spoke.

"Not really." The other boy nodded and leaned against the column, facing Fernando.

"What's on your mind?" Koga continued.

"A lot of things, really," Fernando replied, chuckling nervously. Koga raised an eyebrow.

"Like what?" he questioned slowly.

"Honestly?"

"Yeah, I won't tell. I'm here for you, man." Fernando gave a weak smile at that. He realized he could trust Koga, even if they were new friends.

"Romantic troubles." Koga gave a surprised look.

"You? Having problems with girls? Like I'd believe that!" Koga joked. There was an awkward pause.

"Oh, you weren't kidding," the shorter boy realized, embarrassed.

"It's alright. I know I'm a hunk. I shouldn't be having this issue." Koga laughed, then spoke.

"So you're still sad about Cassie, huh?" Fernando's face started to turn red. Only one other person besides himself knew the true source of his sorrow. Could he really risk telling someone like Koga such a secret? Maybe if he opened up to someone besides Cassie, he could get some help dealing with his feelings.

"She meant a lot to me. I'm having trouble moving on." Fernando realized he had missed an opportunity to truly settle his qualms. He tried to convince himself that the risk was too great.

"Hey, you'll probably find another girl by next week, relax."

"It's not about that. It's just-" He paused. What should he say? That he didn't want any girls? He decided it was too incriminating, and went with a safer option.

"She was a really good friend, too," Fernando continued.

"It's not like you can't ever talk to her again."

"I know, but things are different now." Fernando hoped that wouldn't backfire, that he wouldn't be caught in a casual conversation with Cassie.

"I have faith you can be friends with her. She's a really nice girl. Hell, she let me, the shabbiest guy in school, into her group." Fernando chuckled.

"Don't give yourself too much credit, you're only the third shabbiest at best." Koga moved closer and socked the taller boy on the arm lightly. Both laughed.

"Alright, well, I was just out for a smoke, I'm going to head back to class," Koga explained. "Are you going to be good?" Fernando nodded.

"Yeah. Gracias."

"Anytime, man." With that, the shorter boy dashed away and left Fernando alone with his feelings once again. He crossed his arms, gazed at the foliage in the courtyard, and contemplated. Would he and Khan ever be more than just friends? Will Lian ever change? Will anyone besides Cassie ever know the truth? He did not know. The questions seemed to loom over him. It all felt so unfair, a guy like Khan with a girl like Lian. Honest and considerate against manipulative and uncaring. Fernando couldn't stand not having him, but he was even more frustrated that his friend was stuck with such a terrible girl. He continued to think silently, not caring if he was missing valuable class time. His complete unawareness caused his surprise when another familiar figure appeared at his side and spoke to him.

"Hey," Khan greeted. Fernando turned to the other man.

"Hola."

"You've been out here for a while."

"I know."

"Is something wrong?"

"Aren't you supposed to be in class?" Fernando replied, trying to avoid the question.  
"I could say the same to you. Besides, we've only got a couple of minutes left. Barik let me out because I finished the homework."

"Of course you did," Fernando answered, rolling his eyes. Khan laughed nervously.

"Did you get anything done before you left?" Fernando chuckled at Khan's naivety.

"Christ, no," he answered casually, changing the tone of the conversation.

"Did you pay attention to the lecture?"

"No."

"Fernando," scolded Khan, slight frustration in his tone.

"What?" There was a pause.

"Nothing."

"No, say it."

"Fine. You should pay attention and use your class time efficiently. It'll help raise your grade," Khan said with an air of authority, standing ever so slightly taller.  
"I'm sorry, I've been a bad student," Fernando teased in an almost provocative manner. He saw Khan's face turn dark. The other boy cleared his throat.

"Well, I'll forgive you if you head back to class, where you're supposed to be." Fernando smirked.

"And what if I don't?" Khan thought for a moment, then spoke.

"I'll forget to ask you if you want to hang out this afternoon." Fernando blinked.

"Wait, what?"

"I was thinking we could spend some time together."

"Of course," Fernando answered, his misery from before being temporarily replaced by excitement.

"Alright, sounds good. My place?"

"Yeah."

"We should really get back to class," Khan suggested. Fernando rolled his eyes.

"Barik will chew me out. I'm already close to failing."

"Better late than never. Come on," Khan commanded, ignoring his excuses and walking back to the building. Fernando sighed and followed. When they arrived back at class, Barik asked to speak to Fernando privately. After the bell rang for the end of class and everyone had left, the teacher scolded Fernando about his irresponsible nature, as expected. Fernando sat through the lecture, then apologized to Barik and left class. Khan was outside of the classroom waiting for him.

"Hey. You ready to go?" Khan asked, getting off the wall he was leaning on.

"Yeah." Fernando started to walk towards the end of the hall, Khan by his side.

"What did he say?" he asked.

"The usual. I'm not applying myself." Khan nodded.

"He's right about that. You aren't."

"I know." The two continued to the front of the school in silence. As they were about the cross the street to head into the neighborhood, they were stopped by Fernando's favorite woman in the world.

"Khan? Where are you going?" Lian asked, her arms crossed and eyes cold.

"I'm hanging out with Fernando today, why?" Khan replied nervously. Fernando noted both of their attitudes.

"You were supposed to come with me," she continued, glaring at him.

"You didn't say anything about it," Khan argued.

"I don't care. You're supposed to want to spend time with me, I'm your girlfriend." A pang of sadness hit Fernando at that reminder. Khan quickly glanced at him, then back at the woman.

"I'm sorry. But I already told him we're hanging out. We can hang out on Wednesday."

"Whatever, jerk." She turned away, flipping her long silver hair in the process. She walked away with her head held high.

"Sorry about that," Khan apologized.

"It's alright, it wasn't your fault. Let's get going." Khan gave a weak smile and nodded. The two crossed the street, then navigated through the neighborhood to Khan's house. The feeling of dread returned in Fernando. He couldn't believe Khan let Lian treat him like that. He maintained a gloomy disposition as they walked into the house and up the stairs to Khan's room. The two walked in and Khan closed the door behind them. Fernando could feel the tension in the room as he put his bag down on the floor. He looked up, and Khan was right there, practically looming over him.

"Khan, what are y-" Fernando started. Khan shushed him then moved forward, backing him against the wall. Fernando felt his heart pound and his face turn warm as he stared into Khan's somber face. He was so serious, it was almost as if someone had died.

"Tell me what's wrong. Stop lying to me," demanded Khan. Fernando exhaled. Mierda.


	14. Chapter 14

Fernando looked up at the man over him. Khan's somber hazel eyes pierced into Fernando's brown ones. His face was still. Fernando gulped, then spoke.

"Everything is f-fine, Khan."

"You can talk to me, Fernando. I know something is bothering you," he insisted, moving closer to his friend. Although he cherished the closeness, Fernando tried to move away, wanting to avoid the confrontation. In response, Khan shoved him back against the wall and put his hands on either side of his body, effectively trapping him.

"Khan…" His friend's face softened into a frown.

"I just want to help you."

"I'm alright, I don't need help." Khan looked away from Fernando.

"You keep saying that, but I can see something's wrong. You haven't been yourself lately." Fernando realized the decision that faced him. Should he be honest and tell Khan what's bothering him, or keep up the act?

"Just leave it alone, please," he responded, trying to contain his misery. Khan, who had sat down on his bed, gave Fernando a longing look.

"Are you sure?" he asked. Fernando remained silent, unsure what to do.

"No." Khan's eyes lit with concern. He looked at Fernando expectantly.

"I'm not doing okay." Fernando struggled to get his words out. He put a hand on his face. _Dios mio, I'm really about to do this,_ he thought to himself.

"What's up?"

"Ay, ay, ay, there's just- I don't know where to begin. I can't do this."

"Just let it all out, I'm listening." Fernando paused again. He couldn't tell Khan about the secret. It would be the end of him. But he still wanted to be honest with his friend.

"I don't like how Lian treats you. I can't stand to see you, one of my best friends, get walked all over like that." Khan's expression turned from concern to shock, his face turning slightly red. He nodded, signalling Fernando to continue.

"I don't trust her. She's done so much shit, to Viktor, to Buck, you know? I can't- I don't want her to hurt you, too." Khan looked away.

"She'd never hurt me. I've known her forever." He didn't seem confident in his answer.

"I'm just concerned, that's all. She's so controlling over you. Hell, she was acting up today," Fernando continued. Khan sighed.

"I know our relationship looks bad, but I'm trying to fix it. I have faith that she'll come around."

"I don't know." The two fell into a brief silence.

"Is that really all that was bothering you?"

"Yeah," answered Fernando. He didn't want to draw suspicion to his supplementary feelings regarding Lian and Khan.

"You don't have to be worried, I've got it under control. But I appreciate the concern," Khan reassured, smiling. To Fernando, the smile looked fake, but he ignored it and returned a grin.

Shortly after the end of the conversation, the two started to work on homework together. They laid on their stomachs, Fernando on Khan's bed by his insistence, and Khan on the floor. Fernando felt slightly relieved that he had released some of his turmoil, but was still uncertain about the future of his friendship with Khan. Khan's motivation to change Lian could end up harming him in the long run. Fernando didn't have faith that Lian could change, even with someone like Khan. His own feelings of desire were secondary to his concern. He tried to ignore it and cherish their time together. After they finished working, Khan spoke again.

"You're coming to my Halloween party on Friday, right?" he asked. Fernando perked up. He heard Khan mention a party earlier, but ignored it.

"Of course. Here, right?"

"Yeah, I'm going to invite a lot of people, feel free to bring a guest or two," Khan answered, smiling. Fernando grinned back, and sat up on top of Khan's bed. Khan sat on the floor in front of him, the light from the narrow windows behind Fernando casting golden rays across his tanned skin.

"No game on Friday, huh?" Khan commented.

"Oh, yeah. A little weird, but I guess nobody would come to a game on Halloween. It's an away game, right?"

"Yeah, so we'll get to go on the bus." Fernando preferred home games, but one part of away games that everyone on the team liked was the bus, which had a similar atmosphere to the locker room.

"True that. Things always get interesting there," replied Khan through a chuckle.

"Remember that one time we played truth or dare and Viktor had to do push ups across the bus seats?"

"Or that other time Buck admitted he would smash Terminus?" Both boys began to laugh as they recalled the fond memories. While Khan was distracted, Fernando caught a quick glimpse of him. His smile was priceless, and the way he would snort and cover the lower part of his face with his fist was all too adorable. He felt his face turn warm.

"Good times, good times," Khan added, his laughter dying down.

"Yeah. We'll see what happens on Thursday, I guess," Fernando commented. They lingered in his room for a couple of minutes, then they goodbye and Fernando left Khan's house, returning to his own.

When he arrived home, he walked to his room and flopped down on his bed, mentally exhausted from the day that had just passed. He used all of his energy to maintain his composure at school, especially in front of Khan, but clearly, he failed. He was caught. Khan saw through, and he was vulnerable. Now, he had to be extra careful, but he wasn't sure he could. If he broke down at school like that again, his truth could be exposed. He didn't know if he could handle the pressure. As he showered and got ready to sleep later that night, he couldn't get it all off of his mind. He got into bed and eventually drifted into a shallow slumber, seemingly unprepared for the next day.

/

There was a strange tense air in the art classroom when Fernando entered. It was quieter than normal, and when he got to his table, it was silent. Skye was gone once again. Lian sat with a sly look on her face, and Khan wore a concerned expression. He sat down and faced the white-haired girl across from them. She glared daggers into him. _Probably still pissed that I took her man away from her yesterday,_ he thought as he cleared his throat.

"Where's Skye?" he asked, searching the classroom, "She's been gone for days."

"You didn't hear?" Fernando and Khan looked at each other, then at the girl with suspicion.

"No," answered Fernando.

"She's been expelled." Fernando gasped. Khan wore a surprised look, but maintained his silence.

"What- why?"

"I heard she was having an affair with a teacher. Mr. Jade, I think," she explained casually. Khan and Fernando wore their shock on their faces. Fernando never thought that Skye would be caught in her promiscuous ways.

"That's a real bummer," said Khan.

"We all knew she'd be caught doing something like that eventually," Lian commented, looking at her nails and smirking. She didn't even seem to care that one of her best friends had been hit with such a severe punishment. Now, Fernando realized why Skye had spent her lunches away from the table. She was busy with a teacher, but not in the way everyone thought she was. Deep down, he knew Lian was right. Fernando knew that Skye was the type of person to act in such a way. He just didn't want to admit that his friends reeked of corruption.

"Alright, class," Inara started, snapping Fernando out of his thoughts. "Today, we're doing a lesson about inking. I'll show you some new techniques, then you'll have time to work on your new assignment." Most students ignored the lesson that followed, while Fernando paid attention. He didn't feel like chatting after that bombshell of bad news. Instead, he doodled on a sheet of paper, applying the methods Inara taught.

"I hoped you paid attention to that lesson, because it'll come in handy for your assignment," Inara began, waiting for students to pay attention. She continued when she realized her words would fall upon deaf ears either way. "You are to draw, using ink, a person. The subject should be some type of adventurer, but you can interpret that definition however you want," Inara explained. She then gestured towards the sheets of paper and containers of various sized pens, signalling the start of their free time to create.

Fernando remembered his sketch of a knight. He pulled it out of his bag, then got another sheet of paper to draw on. He started a new neater sketch to use for his project. By the time he finished, class was over. He, Khan, and Lian got up and walked to the cafeteria together, got their food, and sat down. A strange tension lingered around them. Eventually, Fernando decided it was time to lighten the mood, so he turned to Khan.

"So, what type of adventurer are you drawing?" he asked, sarcastically. Khan chuckled.

"I don't know, I can't decide between a stripper or the CEO of a failing tech company," Khan joked. Both laughed, while Lian maintained her cold expression.

"No, but seriously, what's your idea?" Khan asked Fernando.

"I'm going with the knight."

"That's cool. I'm actually not too sure. I need some inspiration, you know?"

"Yeah."

"How did you get your idea?" Fernando perked up, excited to share his interests with Khan.  
"I'm really into history, especially the Middle Ages. The knights were so cool." Khan nodded.

"They are pretty badass," he added. Lian rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"History is so lame. It's all about people who've been decaying for hundreds of years," she commented. Fernando and Khan faced her, surprised and annoyed at her interruption. She glared daggers into Fernando.

"I'm sorry you don't find it interesting," said Fernando.

"People who like that shit are lonely freaks," she continued. _What a goddamn puta,_ he thought to himself, trying to remain calm.

"I guess I must be a lonely freak then."

"Let him like what he wants," Khan butted in.

"This isn't your business," Lian argued. Khan paused.

"It is now."

"You don't have to be so noble, you know. You're not some knight hired to protect him." Khan's face turned dark at that.

"Well I'm sorry that I don't want people to bully my friend."

"So where are you when people give me a hard time?" He paused.

"You always do this. You always make it all about you," he declared angrily. Fernando was surprised at his sudden emotion.

"Answer me, Khan. Where are you when-"

"Shut up!" he snapped, his voice raised. Lian gasped.  
"How dare you tell me, your girlfriend, to shut up," she started.

"You're always saying mean shit and starting unnecessary arguments, and it's getting really annoying," he explained. Lian rolled her eyes, then spoke.

"Oh, Khan, you're so righteous, calling out the mean bitch Lian to protect your precious creep friend," she taunted in a mocking tone. Khan grunted with frustration, which Fernando sympathized with. He was tired of this banter, too.

"Now you're changing the subject to make me look like the bad guy."

"You're the one who started it!" she spat.

"You were being a jerk!" he snapped back. Fernando couldn't take this anymore. He didn't like seeing Khan or Lian in this angry state. He wanted to stay to talk with Khan, but the tension was just too much. This is exactly what he was concerned about.

"Dios mio, you guys can get annoying," he complained, "I'm leaving." He got up out of his seat and walked away from the table. He didn't even look back. He was headed straight to a table where he knew the people would graciously accept him and not fight with each other constantly. As he approached the table tucked in the corner of the lunchroom, Buck noticed him and gave a quizzical look. Cassie, who had also noticed Fernando, nodded to Buck. He moved over to make some room for Fernando. Fernando returned a gracious smile, sat down, and scanned the people around him. He recognized Koga, Buck, Cassie, and Ying, but there were some new faces as well. A short boy with long pale blue hair and tanned skin who sat next to Buck caught his attention. _God damn, he's cute, _he thought to himself as he noted the rest of the faces. A boy with black hair and green eyes wearing a muscle shirt, a fit dark-skinned girl with black hair and amber eyes, and a tall blonde girl he thought he recognized.

"What brings you here, Fernando?" Buck asked, turning to him. He sighed.

"Trouble in paradise over there." He gestured back towards the other table. "They started arguing and won't drop it." Buck nodded.

"Well, glad you stopped by." He went back to talking with the boy next to him. After a few minutes, Fernando joined in.

"What's up with you two?" Fernando asked.

"Nothing much. Have you met Jenos?" Buck replied.

"No, I don't think I have."

"Well, this is him," he gestured to the shorter boy, who gave a weak smile.

"Hola."

"Hello. Fernando, right?" Jenos greeted.

"The one and only!" Buck and Jenos chuckled at that.

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

Fernando left the two to continue their conversation. He turned to Cassie, who chatted with Ying and the blonde girl. They exchanged an awkward glance. She seemed caught off guard by his sudden visit to their table. Fernando hoped speaking to her wouldn't interfere with the image he implied of a broken relationship with Cassie.

"Hello, Cassie." A few other students perked up.

"Hi Fernando, how are you?" she asked.

"Holding it together," he responded casually.

"That's good. How are Khan and Lian?" Fernando winced at that.

"Not too well." Cassie chuckled and nodded, then went back to chatting with the other girls. He realized that talking with Cassie too much might make him look suspicious, so he went back to talking with Buck and Jenos. He chatted until the end of lunch, said goodbye to the students, then he, Buck, and Koga walked to the locker room together to get ready for gym class.

When they arrived, Khan was there alone, sitting on a bench. The three exchanged confused looks, then headed to their lockers to start changing. Fernando took off his clothes, then spoke to Khan.

"You're an early bird today, huh?" Fernando commented. He gazed at Khan through the mirror that he had walked up to.

"Yeah," he replied quickly, not looking at Fernando.

"How was your lunch?" Khan chuckled.

"Unpleasant." The taller boy got up and took off his shirt. He stared directly into the mirror, returning Fernando's gaze. Fernando averted his eyes, not wanting to get distracted by the other's sculpted body.

"That's not good," Fernando replied nervously. He moved away from the mirror towards his locker, near Koga and Buck. More students started to trickle in by the time Koga spoke to Fernando.

"What's up, dude?" greeted Koga. He leaned against a locker and faced Fernando.

"Nothing much. You?"

"I noticed you joined us today." Fernando took off his clothes and shoved them in his locker.

"Oh yeah, I just felt like dropping by." Koga raised an eyebrow. Fernando anxiously searched his locker for his gym clothes.

"Any reason?"

"No, just felt like it." He saw Khan turn towards him in the corner of his eye. Koga nodded slowly.

"Alright then. Well, Cassie seemed to enjoy your company," he joked. Fernando chuckled and socked him on the arm.

"Cállate." Koga laughed.

"It was pretty funny to watch you guys," he continued.

"Like I told you yesterday, things aren't the same anymore." The conversation suddenly felt more serious. Fernando noted that Khan continued to watch them, and hoped he couldn't hear what they were saying.

"I can see that now," Koga replied in flat tone. Both fell silent. Fernando was the only one who knew that he could still talk to Cassie as his best friend. He needed to be careful; if not, he could expose himself to everyone. Other students rushed to and from the lockers to change and head out to class. Koga, who had already changed, spoke up again.

"I'm going to head to class now," he said.

"Alright, see you there." Koga walked away with a group of students, leaving Khan and Fernando alone in the locker room. Khan stood near a bench and stared towards Fernando, which made his face turn warm. Right after Fernando put on his clothes, Khan started a conversation.

"So, you went to Cassie's table?" he questioned. Fernando suddenly felt nervous.

"Yeah, why?"

"Just wondering. Are you guys good now, or what?"

"I don't know. I just said hi, nothing more." Khan nodded, his eyes squinted.

"Interesting." After a few moments of silence, Khan frowned and sighed.

"I'm really sorry that you had to witness, well, you know." His face was gloomy, and he looked away from his friend.

"It's fine." Fernando didn't know what to say. He didn't want to make Khan feel worse by admitting that their behavior was unacceptable.

"No, it's not okay. We shouldn't have acted that way in front of you."

"It wasn't your fault. You couldn't control her. She's the one who started it." Khan faced Fernando and gave a weak grin.

"You really think so?" Fernando realized Lian had probably convinced him he was the guilty party.

"Yeah. I'm actually grateful that you stood up for me."

"Oh, it's nothing, really. I hate when she does that to people, especially my friends," he said, averting his gaze from Fernando as his face turned slightly red. It was easy to flatter him. Fernando returned a playful grin.

"Just don't let me ruin your relationship with Lian," he joked. Khan's expression turned serious once more.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"Relájate, it was just a joke."  
"Okay then." Fernando wanted to say something about how Lian was slowly draining his friend, but he couldn't. He wanted to say the relationship wouldn't end well. He wanted to call Lian so many terrible names and call Khan an idiot for even submitting to her. His hands were tied. To Fernando, speaking up would create a rift in their friendship. In addition, he didn't want to seem selfish or possessive. He felt that his negative feelings towards the relationship were caused by his own love for Khan, and that expressing his opinion could expose him. Fernando tried to ignore his thoughts as he changed into his clothes, then headed to gym class with Khan.


	15. Chapter 15

School after gym class was relatively calm. He occasionally chatted with Khan, but Fernando could feel a strange tension with him. As usual, Fernando returned to the locker room later that day to get ready for football practice. When he arrived, Khan, Buck, and Viktor were there along with some other teammates. Khan approached him to speak when he started to change clothes.

"How are you, Fernando?" he greeted.

"I'm well, and you?"

"I'm doing alright. I-" He suddenly stopped. Fernando, who had broken eye contact to take off his shirt, faced him again.

"What?" Khan's eyes had wandered down, away from Fernando's face. His face turned slightly red, then he cleared his throat.

"Nothing." He faced away from Fernando, and the tension returned.

"Alright then." Khan walked away and Fernando finished changing into his gear._ That was weird_, Fernando thought to himself. He then looked up to see Buck glued to his phone, already in his practice gear. He walked towards his friend to chat.

"Hey," Buck said, not looking up from the screen.

"Hi. What are you up to?" Fernando responded.

"Nothing much." His phone vibrated, there was a pause, then he let out a chuckle.

"Who are you texting?"

"Nobody," he answered quickly, putting away his phone and looking up to Fernando. The spaniard smirked.

"Nobody, huh? They must be a riot." Buck scoffed.

"Yeah, a real riot." His expression softened.

"Is it a girl?" he asked.

"No," Suddenly, Viktor, who had just finished changing, walked over to the two.

"What's going down?" he asked.

"I'm interrogating him." Viktor gave a playful smile.

"Really now?" he asked, facing Buck.

"Yeah, he was texting someone. A girl, I think." He nodded.

"Buck's got girls? Nice, man!" He patted his friend on the shoulder. Buck rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, let's just go to the field." Fernando nodded. Buck got up from his seat, and they walked out the door to go to practice.

Shortly after they arrived at the field, they started doing drills. Since the game was Thursday, Coach Terminus emphasized the importance of working extra hard. Fernando did not struggle to meet his expectations, since he was certainly one of the best players on the team. He had his physique, but also honed his skills: catching, running, tackling, and throwing were all easy for him. Of course, the best player was Khan, but he was not performing well that night. He seemed distracted and kept making simple mistakes. When Coach Terminus yelled at him to get his head in the game, he nodded silently, which Fernando noted as unusual. When Khan got targeted by Terminus, he usually yelled his response, "Yes Coach!" with zeal and continued to play. Khan was less involved than normal the whole night, even going as far to almost forget to initiate the team's war cry. At the end of practice, everyone headed to the locker room, chatting along the way, while Khan remained silent, even when they got inside. In the locker room, Fernando chatted with Buck as he changed out of his sweaty gear and into the clothes he arrived in earlier.

"So, Buck, you going to go home, or to that girl's house?" he teased.

"No, I'm-" He was interrupted by Viktor, who stumbled into their conversation.

"Buck's gonna get some?" he cut in, loudly. He, like Fernando and Buck, was shirtless and glistening with sweat.

"I'm not. There's no girl-"

"What were those texts then?" Viktor continued. Buck grunted in annoyance.

"Leave me alone!" Buck stood up and walked away from the two. They looked at each other with confusion.

"Why did he get so pissed so quickly?" asked Viktor, warranting a shrug from Fernando.

"I don't know, but we shouldn't prod too much." Viktor nodded, then walked away. Fernando finished changing, noting Khan's distance from the rest of the team. He only stared blankly towards his friends. Soon, everyone else had trickled out of the locker room to head home except for the duo. Fernando decided it would be a good time to approach Khan.

"Hi Khan."

"Hello," he greeted back quietly.

"What's up with you?"

"Nothing." He didn't look at Fernando.

"Is something wrong?" There was a pause.

"No." Fernando nodded slowly.

"Alright. You just seemed a little off at practice, that's all."

"Don't worry about me."

"Whatever you say. I'm going to head out." Khan nodded, still not looking at Fernando. Fernando walked towards the exit, but stopped when he heard Khan speak.

"Wait!" he shouted. Fernando turned around.

"Yes?"

"Goodnight." Fernando gave a half smile.

"You too, mi alma," he answered softly. When he realized his mistake, his face turned hot and he rushed out of the door. _Hijo de la chingada, I'm so stupid_, he thought to himself. He tried not to succumb to panic as he walked outside, headed home, walked up the stairs to his apartment and opened the door. He greeted his parents, who were watching television, then went to go shower. He washed himself quickly, then changed into his pajamas and brushed his teeth. Fernando crawled into bed, his mind racing and his heart pounding from the close call that was his mistake. He prayed that Khan didn't understand or hear him. After taking slow breaths, he managed to calm himself down and started to fall asleep._ It's a miracle I haven't been caught yet_.

/

Wednesdays were always somewhat mundane for Fernando, since there was no practice and more homework. He only half paid attention to his classes that day, his mind wandering off to other topics. Fernando built courage in the classes leading up to art by rehearsing what he would say to Khan. At the start of the class, the two only briefly greeted each other, then went to work on their art projects. He decided he felt safe sitting at his normal lunch table. The bell rang, and he, Khan, and Lian walked to the lunchroom in silence. When he saw Vivian sitting at their table waiting, he relaxed a little bit. He didn't particularly like her, but she was another person to buffer the awkwardness.

"Hola, Vivian," he greeted as he and Khan sat down across from her and Lian.

"Hi Fernando. Long time no see."

"What have you been up to?"  
"Nothing much, you?"

"Just a bit stressed about this art assignment."

"What is it? I'm not in art." Fernando remembered that she was part of a group of students who opted for taking only academic classes. The boring people, he liked to call them.

"We have to draw an adventurer of some sort. I drew a knight, but I messed it up a bit." She chuckled.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out. You seem to be good at fixing mistakes. Makes sense for someone who messes up everything." Fernando rolled his eyes at the jab. He was used to it, but it still annoyed him when her and Lian would make fun of him like that. He turned to Khan, hoping that there would be no more tension between them.

"Hey Khan," he greeted.

"Oh, hi."

"How are you?"

"I'm doing alright, and you?"

"I'm good."

"So, that History test is tomorrow, how do you think you'll do?" Khan asked._ Of course he brings up school_. Clearly, he didn't know what else to talk about, but Fernando went along with it.

"I just need to review. I'll be fine."

"Yeah, I need to study for it. I'm not too confident." Fernando scoffed.

"Dude, you'd ace it if you were high and drunk," he joked. He admired Khan's dedication to his academics almost to the point of jealousy. Fernando didn't like expressing his feelings, but he couldn't resist trying to cheer up his friend.

"Not necessarily. If I don't study, I won't perform well."  
"I don't buy it." Khan turned away to talk to Lian, who had been watching him expectantly. Fernando sat quietly, feeling trapped by the people around him. All of his attempts to speak with Khan were deflected by Lian, who quickly moved the focus away from Fernando every time he tried to join. While the couple chatted, she occasionally glanced towards Fernando and gave him a faint knowing smile, which frustrated him greatly. Chatting with Vivian only resulted in Fernando becoming more annoyed at her pretentious nature. She always talked down to everyone, especially Fernando. He decided it was the best socialization he was going to get, and continued to chat with her.

Fernando was relieved to go to gym class after dealing with Vivian and Lian for the entirety of lunch. He and Khan arrived after what seemed like an eternal walk to class due to the awkward silence between them. Koga and Buck were there chatting, along with some other students who had started to change clothes. Fernando took off his outfit, got his gym clothes, then headed over to the mirror by his friends to join in on their conversation.

"Hola, amigos," Fernando greeted. Koga, who prodded at his face in the mirror, turned around.

"Oh, hi Fernando." He moved out of the way to give Fernando some room to inspect himself.

"What's going on over here?" Fernando asked as he ran his fingers through his hair. He could see Khan changing by his locker in the reflection of his mirror, but ignored it.

"Nothing much. Buck hung out with Jenos last night." Fernando turned to Buck.

"So that was the girl you were texting last night?" Buck rolled his eyes.

"Yes, and?" Fernando let out a laugh.

"You could have just told us, you know, you didn't need to get so defensive," he continued.

"Yeah, whatever." Koga moved away from the mirror and faced a now shirtless Buck.  
"Jenos is your girl, huh?" he teased.

"No," Buck replied, annoyed.

"Well, he sure does look like one," Koga continued. Buck's face turned pink.

"He does not!"

"He totally does, you know it. That's why you hang around him so much. He's like your girlfriend." Buck scoffed and swung a fist at Koga. The white-haired boy dodged and grabbed Buck's arm.

"Shut up." Buck pulled himself out of Koga's grip. Fernando didn't like where this was going. He knew that Koga loved to start fights.

"You two better cut it out," Fernando cut in, shoving the two away from each other. "I can beat both of your asses if you keep it up." Koga and Buck exchanged a surprised look at that remark. Koga nodded, and Buck stepped away. Then, he faced Fernando and smirked.

"You can?" Koga's face was warped with playful aggression. Fernando felt his nerves fire up. He didn't want to fight Koga. He wasn't sure he could win.

"Y-yes," he stuttered. He glanced away out of anxiety only to see Khan watching the interaction. The pressure on Fernando increased. _Mierda._

"Let's go, pretty boy."

"Koga, wait-" Suddenly, Koga jumped onto Fernando and tackled him to the ground. He locked his legs around Fernando's wide chest and held his fist above the other's face, ready to act. Fernando quickly got up and shoved Koga off of him. Then, he stood up and shoved Koga back when he tried to strike again. The boy was short, yet muscular, so it was hard to push back against him. Eventually, Fernando won the struggle and shoved him by his shoulders against the wall next to the mirror. One of Fernando's hands pushed against his collarbone, while the other pinned his shoulder.

"Looks like I was correct," Fernando boasted, smirking. Koga's silver eyes glared daggers into him, and his muscles glistened with sweat. Fernando's gaze wandered over to the mirror next to them, where he saw Khan staring towards the two in shock.  
"Really now?"

Koga moved his arms up to fight back. Fernando snapped away from his distraction and quickly reacted, grabbing Koga's arms with one hand and pinning them above his head. Koga tried to kick himself out, but Fernando moved closer, his knees pinning Koga's thighs down. Koga stopped resisting and smirked.

"I could have beat you, but I hesitated." Fernando rolled his eyes.

"Sure, amigo. I won fair and square."

"Can you let me go?" Koga asked, looking away from the other's face.

"Not until you admit defeat."

"Okay, you win. Please get off of me, this hurts," he admitted. Fernando chuckled, then backed off and let Koga out of his grip.

"No more bickering." Koga nodded.

"Yeah, yeah." There was a pause. Most of the other students, including Buck, had ignored their quarrel and headed to class. Strangely, Khan was still there. Koga and Fernando both started to put on their gym clothes and continued to converse.

"You get distracted easily, you know," Koga started. Fernando's face turned red.  
"W-what?" Koga finished putting on his shorts, then spoke.

"I saw you." Fernando paused.

"You're the one who keeps trying to wrestle shirtless men," Fernando joked as he slipped into his own shorts. Koga chuckled.

"Don't act like you didn't enjoy it." Fernando laughed to hide his paranoia. _Is he onto me?_

"It's just… you're very skilled." Koga smirked.

"Sure, that's why you keep letting me fight you," he teased. Fernando put on his shirt to try to hide his reddening face.  
"That's enough from you," Fernando grunted, trying to hide his embarrassment behind annoyance. Koga started to walk to the exit of the locker room.

"Rematch tomorrow?" he asked.

"No thank you," Fernando answered, still hovering around the mirror.

"Alright, catch you later." The silver-haired boy slipped out of the gym, leaving Fernando alone with Khan, who was facing his locker. The two lingered in silence, then Khan spoke.

"What was that all about?" he asked, not looking at Fernando.

"The fight?"  
"Yeah."  
"We were just playing around." He could see Khan's shoulders slump down.

"Is something wrong?" Fernando asked.

"It's nothing."  
"You can tell me, I don't care."

"It's just- I don't like when you guys do stuff like that. It scares me a bit. I-" There was a pause.

"I don't want him to hurt you." Fernando's face softened.  
"He'd never do something like that, it's-"

"How do you know that?" Khan suddenly faced Fernando. His cheeks were red, and his eyes were intense.

"Koga's my friend."  
"I wouldn't trust him." Fernando was hesitant to argue, but decided to defend his friend.

"Well, I do, he's a nice guy." Khan squinted at Fernando, then turned away quickly.

"I don't think you understand." Khan stormed out of the locker room and Fernando stood still, shocked by his sudden outburst. He rarely saw Khan act this way, and he'd never been so cold to him before. He sighed, tried not to think about it too much, then walked out of the exit of the locker room and to the gym.

/

Khan's thoughts ran astray as he sat in math class. He had been making progress on the worksheet Barik handed out, but the stuffiness of the classroom made it hard for him to focus. A certain presence, his dark-haired friend next to him, had a similar effect. He gazed towards Fernando and recalled the fight he witnessed, the source of his wandering mind. Something about the entire interaction made Khan feel off. When he talked with Fernando, he tried to hide his discomfort behind concern. Fernando and Koga socializing always rubbed Khan the wrong way, but he didn't know why, and it perturbed him.

"Uh, Khan? You alright?" Fernando questioned. Khan realized that he had been staring blankly at his friend, and snapped out of it.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied in a quiet voice. Fernando nodded slowly, and Khan turned back to his paper, cheeks warm with embarrassment. He struggled to get back into the swing of solving problems, especially with chatting students around him, but he managed to finish his work right before class ended.

When the bell rang, he packed his bag and headed out of the classroom, making sure to thank Barik. In the hallway, Fernando approached his side to walk together like they normally did. Khan prepared himself to speak, but an unexpected figure cut him off.

"Hello, Khan," the silver-haired girl greeted. She leaned against a locker right outside of the classroom door. He faced her, turning away from his friend.  
"Hey Lian," he replied slowly.

"You're coming with me today, right?" She tilted her head in an endearing manner.

"Yeah, why?"

"Okay, let's go!" She moved away from the locker and towards Khan, ignoring Fernando's presence entirely. Khan peered back at Fernando, who wore a surprised expression. He took the hint, nodded to Khan, and headed towards the exit. Khan turned back to Lian. She gave him a wide smile and interlocked their fingers, then pulled him along down the hallway towards the rest of the campus.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"I just have to do something really quickly."

"Alright." She walked with him to the library, where a couple of particularly brainy students lingered. They approached a table where the slim boy Jenos, a petite black-haired girl, Cassie, and Koga sat. Koga gave Khan a strange look, and Lian unlinked her finger's from his to cross her arms at the dark-haired girl.

"Can I help you?" she asked expectantly, dread in her tone.

"I have some stuff for you to do," Lian stated, taking out her binder.

"What stuff?"

"A math sheet, a pre-lab for science, and an english packet." Lian listed the homework as she took it out. Khan gave her a suspicious look, which she ignored. The girl inspected the papers.

"I don't know if I can finish all of it." Lian slammed her hands on the table.

"If you don't, I'll fail." Cassie, who had silently watched until then, spoke up.  
"Why should she care if you fail?" she commented.

"Shut up, Cassie, this isn't about you," Lian snapped back. Cassie rolled her eyes, then resumed working on her homework with Jenos. _What the hell?_

"How much will you pay?" the black-haired girl continued.

"I'll pay you fifteen dollars." Koga, who was also following the conversation, chuckled.

"For all that work? I thought you were filthy rich," he quipped.

"Your friends are awful chatty, Ying," Lian commented. Khan noted her fidgeting form, her seemingly impatient demeanor.

"He's right, fifteen is not enough. Twenty-five is the least I'll do it for," Ying answered. Lian rolled her eyes. Khan knew Koga was correct that she could afford the price. But why was she even paying anyone in the first place?

"Alright, I'll pay you tomorrow." Koga smirked at Ying, who smiled back. Lian picked up her binder and walked away, flipping her hair in the process. Khan started to follow her, but stopped when he turned around to see Koga glaring at him. He ignored it and followed Lian out of the library. They headed towards the front of the school and into the neighborhood as they talked.

"What was that all about?" Khan asked.

"It's called being resourceful," she answered, not looking at him.

"So you're just paying a girl to do your work so you barely pass your classes?"

"Well, yes. I have more important things to do than homework, and I have the money. Why not?"

"What's more important than homework?" She scoffed.

"None of your business, okay?"

"Seriously," Khan continued.

"I'm a very busy woman. I need to go shopping, go to the spa, hang out, get my beauty rest, do all that stuff, you know?" Khan wanted to argue with her, but felt it was too much trouble. She had been spoiled rotten and lazy ever since they were children. He always disliked that about her.

The two walked in silence back to Lian's house, where she insisted they stay for the afternoon. Khan reluctantly complied, still mentally jostled because of the behavior he had witnessed from both Lian and Fernando. He really wanted to go home to relax, but he couldn't. He had to spend time with Lian. _This is what good boyfriends do_, he thought to himself as he walked into the grand entrance of his friend's house.


	16. Chapter 16

Khan sat on Lian's bed, not listening to anything she said. He didn't know what she was talking about anymore, so he just sat and nodded occasionally. He could be working on his homework, playing football, or hanging out with his friends. But instead, he was stuck with Lian and her rambling. Eventually, she caught onto his unresponsiveness, and paused when Khan got out his phone to check the time.

"Khan? Are you even listening?" she asked angrily. Khan put his phone back in his pocket, surprised by her tone.

"What?" he asked.

"You're not, are you?" He blinked at her. _Should I be honest? It might piss her off,_ he thought.

"Khan!" she shouted, snapping him out of his contemplation.

"Yes, of course I am," he replied matter-of-factly, warranting a smug look from Lian.

"Then what was I talking about?" He fell silent and tried to disguise his confusion, which only seemed to fuel her fury as time passed.

"Sorry," he apologized softly, looking away from the fuming figure across the room. She stood up from her seat on the desk and approached him, facing him with an intense glare.

"You need to learn to pay attention to me, I'm tired of wasting my time," she spat. He gulped and nodded, feared into submission by the stare of her cold blue eyes.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied in a shaky voice.  
"I'm your girlfriend, can't you call me something else?"

"Will do, h-honey cakes." She giggled at that, then sat next to him on the bed.

"So, what were you talking about?" Khan asked in an attempt to mitigate the tension.

"Skye. I texted her today."

"Oh, what did she say?"

"She's really sad about not getting to see us anymore." Either Lian was lying, or Skye was lying.

"Well, I hope she knows we miss her too." Lian scoffed at that, causing Khan to give a suspicious look.

"Speak for yourself," she commented quietly.

"You wanted her to leave?" There was a pause. She looked away.

"Honestly? Yes." Khan wore a surprised expression. He knew that she and Lian didn't get along too well, but Lian wanting her to be expelled?

"I thought she was fine." Lian made eye contact with the tall man.

"If by fine, you mean a total fucking bitch, then yes, she was fine," she spat, her face wrinkled with hate.  
"Woah, calm down. She wasn't that bad-"

"She was horrible, Khan!" she interrupted. She slammed her fist onto the mattress. "She was such a goddamn liar and a bitch!" Khan stared back blankly, shocked by her outburst. He remained silent as she ranted.

"Gosh, she was a terrible friend, she would always ditch us to whore herself out." She let out a chuckle, then continued.

"You know where she would always leave our table to go? To that teacher's room to fuck him like a little slut!"

"Wait, really? How did you know that?" Khan asked. Lian's face turned from seething to surprised.

"She-" Lian paused. Khan raised an eyebrow.

"S-she told me," she stuttered.

"That's weird. You would think someone like her would know not to tell-"

"You want to know what really happened, don't you?" she hissed, her irises seeming to freeze his skin with their coldness.

"Yes, of course," he replied, unsuspecting of what she was about to say.

"Fine. I saw them."

"What? No way!"

"Well, not really, I saw her go into his classroom, and I heard some things..." Suddenly, the pieces snapped together in Khan's head.

"You were a witness."

"Yes," she answered, a tinge of anxiety in her tone.

"In that case, did you tell the school?" Lian's face turned white.

"I-" Khan looked her in the eyes. Her ice blue eyes moved away from his golden ones, hesitant and scared.

"Yes."

"You directly contributed to her expulsion, then?" Khan had now moved closer to the woman, his hands brushing against her arms. Her head turned away from his face.

"Yes…" He sighed. _I knew it._

"Lian, why?"

"It wasn't all me! I didn't-"

"Yes you did." Lian gave a defeated frown. Clearly, she was at fault. Khan decided to go through with scolding her. He took a deep breath.

"Lian, if you didn't do this, she would still be in school, she would have a better future. But you ruined-" he started, but was interrupted by the furious girl.  
"Skye did it to herself! Skye was the one who went and messed around with that teacher! She knew it was wrong!"  
"You're the one who exposed her, you didn't have to do that. Friends don't do that to each other." Her eyes started to water with tears.

"She's the one who took my boyfriend!"

"All of this is over a boy?" She let out a sob.

"He wasn't just a boy! I loved Viktor, and Skye took him away! He cheated on me with that whore!" Tears ran down her cheeks as she stood up to meet him at eye level. Khan couldn't comprehend all of the information being thrown at him, and the pressure was building.

"Clearly he didn't love you if he wasn't loyal." Khan instantly regretted this statement.

"Yes, he did! More than you ever have. More than you do. More than you ever will…" she trailed off. She flopped over on her bed and muffled her cries in a pillow. He stood up, his mouth agape and hazel eyes wide with shock.

"Lian…"

"Leave!" The shout was dampened by the fluffy bedding blocking her face. Khan moved closer and put his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to console her. There was a moment where Lian's sobbing ceased and she looked up to make eye contact with him. Her pale irises were encircled by the reddish whites of her eyes, and her face was blotchy from the tears. Suddenly, her face turned from gloomy to enraged and she shoved his hand off of her.

"I said to leave!" she repeated. Khan moved his arm away slowly, baffled by her behavior.

"Why are you acting like this?"

"Shut up! Go away! I don't want you to sit here and tell me how terrible I am! I'm tired of you lecturing me and scolding me and telling me everything I do is wrong!" He slumped his shoulders, disappointed at the low blow. He couldn't believe what she was saying to him and how she was acting. He was supposed to love this woman. She was supposed to be his best friend and girlfriend. _Where did I go wrong?_

"I just want to help you-" Suddenly, Lian stood up in front of him and slapped him across the face. The blow was quick, but painful like a whack from a whip. Khan held the cheek where she had struck him, the skin quickly turning red and giving an irritating burning sensation. Lian crossed her arms and gave a cold stare. He realized that he could reason with her no longer, and turned his back away from her to leave. He picked up his bags, then walked out of the door, his eyes somber as he gazed at the white-haired girl one more time. Lian's demeanor changed briefly: her face softened and her arms fell down to her sides in defeat. Khan ignored this and headed next door to his house, making sure to lock the door so Lian couldn't get in.

It was still afternoon when he left his neighbor's house, so when he got home, he headed up to his room and sat down at his desk to finish homework. He worked ahead so he wouldn't need to worry about doing any homework the next day, the day of the game. After that, he had a mundane conversation with his parents over dinner and headed back upstairs to take a shower and get to bed. He changed into his pajamas and flopped into bed, his mind exhausted from the events of the day. Fernando fighting with Koga, Lian getting Skye expelled, finding out about Viktor cheating on Lian; it overwhelmed him. He realized that his friends weren't who he thought they were anymore. He was unsure how to feel, what to think. Was he overthinking, or were they really changing right before his eyes? Was he prying too much? If he had never questioned Lian, he wouldn't be in this situation. He tried not to think about it and eventually manage to fall asleep.

/

Khan watched his friend make progress on his drawing of a knight. He had finished his own work, and would have liked to add more detail, but decided the simple drawing was sufficient. Besides, even if he had enough time to improve his assignment, it was all being consumed by a distraction: he could not stop spectating his friend. The way his hand carefully gripped the pen and moved it to create thin strokes for details, the way his eyes narrowed and he leaned over his desk to get a better view, the way he bit his lip ever so slightly; it put Khan in a trance. Eventually, Fernando leaned back into his chair to stretch. Khan remained fixated on his arms. Fernando had rolled up the sleeves to his long sleeved shirt to expose his forearms, which connected to rough ink-covered hands. The hands moved up towards his face to adjust his dark brown locks, which is when he and Khan made eye contact.

"Like what you see?" Khan's face turned warm at Fernando's flirtatious tone.

"W-what?" he sputtered. _Why the hell was I staring at him?_

"It seems you were enjoying my good looks," he replied, adding a grin.

"I-I was thinking about some things, that's all." Khan looked away and hoped Fernando was dumb enough to believe his excuse. Even if he wanted to be honest, he didn't know what he would say.

"Ay, you're so pensive, always thinking about something." Fernando let out a chuckle and turned back to his paper. Khan exhaled in relief, then realized that Lian was glaring at him from across the table. Earlier, he noticed her cold eyes locked onto him, but thought nothing of it. However, she now grit her teeth and furrowed her brow with anger. His eyes met her harsh stare, and she looked away from him quickly. Eventually, the awkward tension between the couple was mitigated by the ring of the lunch bell.

Fernando and Khan got up from the table and walked outside to go to the lunchroom together. Both waited for Lian in the hallway, but when she walked out of the classroom, she walked past the two without looking at them and headed away from the lunchroom.

"Is something wrong between you two?" Fernando asked, giving Khan a confused look. Khan sighed.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Fernando nodded.

"What do you want to do, then?"

"I don't really care, we can sit wherever." Fernando grinned at that.

"I think I know a perfect place for us," he replied excitedly. Khan nodded, then followed Fernando, who walked him to the back of the lunchroom where they stopped at a table with some familiar faces. Khan recognized the black-haired girl from the day before, Cassie, Jenos, Buck, and Koga.

"Nice to have you back," Buck said to Fernando. A few people moved over to make room for Fernando.

"Is it okay if Khan joins us?" he asked.

"Any friend of you is a friend of ours," Buck answered. Fernando smiled and gestured for Khan to sit on the other side of him next to Koga, who gave him an irritated look. He ignored this and turned towards Cassie, the black-haired girl, and a blonde girl. The first two of the three girls noticed his presence and gave him a strange look.

"You're Khan?" Cassie asked.

"Yes." She nodded and gazed towards Fernando.

"So you're Lian's new pet," the black haired girl teased.

"Ying, stop it. He seems alright." Ying rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." She turned to chat with the blonde next to her. Khan attempted to talk to Fernando, but he was busy chatting with Buck and Jenos. When Jenos noticed him, he gave the same strange look that the girls had given him. He took this as a signal to leave them alone, so he turned to his other side, where Koga sat.

"Hey, Koga, what's up?" Koga turned to face him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"Fernando dragged me along."

"Weird. He hasn't done that before."

"He just-" Khan paused. He didn't know why Fernando brought him to the table either.

"-wanted to change it up, I guess. I don't really know."

"Hope that doesn't become a regular thing." Khan blinked.

"What?" The shorter boy's face turned smug.

"You coming here." Khan paused, appalled by his lack of manners. He was a guest, so he thought Koga should treat him with courtesy. _Guess I expected too much from a guy like him,_ he thought to himself.  
"That's not very nice."

"Neither is your lover."

"What are you saying?" Koga scoffed, then looked away from Khan.

"See Ying over there?" He gestured towards the petite girl, who wore a light blue crop top and matching ribbons in her hair.

"Yeah, what about her?"

"She's not a homework slave." Khan raised an eyebrow.

"Your girlfriend likes to treat her like one," he continued. Khan couldn't disagree. He saw the way Lian spoke to the girl.

"She has a name, you know." Khan answered, trying to veer away from the topic.

"Fine. Tell Lian to back off of her." He glanced at Ying one more time, then faced back to Khan.

"Why should I?" Koga rolled his eyes.

"It's the right thing to do," he protested.

"Can I trust you?"

"Why not?" Khan paused to contemplate the situation. He knew Koga could be shady, but at that moment, he seemed genuine. Maybe he only wanted to protect Ying, not stir conflict with Khan. Khan then remembered how the boy acted with Fernando. His flirty tone, the way they fought, his teasing; all massive red flags to Khan. He continued skeptically.

"Well, judging by the way you act with Fernando, I wouldn't trust you," Khan suggested quietly, crossing his arms.

"Don't start this again."

"I'm just saying I don't like the way you play with him." Koga laughed.

"Play, huh? Is that an innuendo?" Khan rolled his eyes in frustration at his immaturity.

"You fight him, you tease him- you're trying to get to his head, I know it." Khan glared into Koga's silver eyes. His face was still smug.

"And you know this how?" Khan paused. He didn't know what to say, for he had no evidence to back up his claim besides a gut feeling.

"Sounds like someone is a bit jealous," Koga quipped. Khan's face turned beet red. _What is this kid thinking?_

"What? No way!"

"Then why do you care about what we do so much?"

"I-"

"You want what I have with Fernando. I know it," he interrupted. Deep down, Khan knew it to be true. He huffed in defeat.

"I don't want you to hurt him," Khan replied silently, looking away.

"I get it. I don't want people to hurt Ying, either," he answered, his tone casual and his face soft. The white-haired boy looked in her direction again. Khan thought he saw his face turn pink.

"So, will you do it?" Koga asked, snapping back to face Khan.

"Do what?"  
"Get TLian to stop being a bitch?" Khan chuckled.

"I can't make any promises, but I'll try," Khan answered. Koga gave a genuine smile.

"Thank you." Khan nodded, and Koga faced away to talk with another person at the table. Khan sat in silence, wondering about the conversation he just had. His face was still warm from Koga's accusation. _Do I want to be closer to him?_ He turned to face Fernando, who was in his element chatting and laughing with Buck and Jenos. Khan admired his charisma and cherished his friendship, but did he want anything more than just that?]

Shortly after the exchange, the bell rang, marking the end of the lunch period. Khan, Koga, Fernando, and Buck all headed to the locker room to get ready for gym class after saying goodbye to the rest of the friend group. As soon as they arrived, Khan went to a bench and changed out of his school clothes quickly. He occasionally glanced towards Fernando, who lingered to chat with Koga. He faced his locker and eavesdropped on the banter he and Koga were having, instead.

"I saw you talking to Khan. What'd you think of him?" he asked. Khan perked up.

"Eh." Khan turned around to see Koga picking at his skin in the mirror.

"Oh, come on, he's nice," Fernando argued.

"Speak for yourself. He's kind of boring. Besides, Lian's made him into a total c-"

"Ay ay ay, don't even get started on her, she's such a headache. But I swear, he's actually a pretty cool guy if you ignore that."

"Whatever."

"You should give him a chance." Koga scoffed.

"You're really set on this new dude, huh?" Khan stood up to go to his locker, which is when Koga noticed Khan.

"Well, I-" Koga smirked, then moved up to Fernando's ear and whispered something that clearly bothered Fernando, evident by his blushing.

"Koga!" He shoved the smaller boy away from him.

"It's true, isn't it?" Koga quipped through a chuckle.

"No, of course not!" Koga continued to laugh as Fernando became more flustered. Fernando lightly socked him on the arm, triggering Koga to grab his hand. Khan, both curious about what Koga had said as well as wanting to stop any fight, decided to step in. He walked closer and noted Koga's menacing expression as he pulled Fernando's arm, causing him to lose balance and fall onto the ground.

"Calm down guys." Fernando pushed himself onto his feet and Koga faced Khan.

"Lo siento," he apologized, still slightly shaken up from being thrown to the ground.

"What was all that about, anyways?"

"Nothing," Fernando stuttered, fixing his hair frantically. His face was a deep red, and he was still shirtless. Khan struggled to keep his eyes to his face. _What the hell is wrong with me? _He cleared his throat, his anxiety seemed to choke him and try to pull him away from the confrontation.

"Is that so?" Khan continued, fidgeting with the string on his shorts.

"Yes. You're not involved in this, go away," Koga butted in. The short boy's silver eyes pierced into Khan.

"Koga, it's fine, leave him alone," Fernando defended, his expression softening.

"He's being nosy," Koga started, "you wouldn't want him to find out what I said, would you?" Fernando chuckled nervously. Khan couldn't help but question their secretive nature.

"Why are you guys acting so weird?"

"W-what are you on about?" Fernando protested, his voice shaky. Khan raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know, you're just being really sketchy right now," Khan continued, causing Koga to groan.

"You need to mind your own business." Koga had moved closer to Khan by then, and was glaring daggers into him. He realized he wouldn't get any information out of either of them, so he just nodded quickly and anxiously walked towards his locker to change into his gym clothes. Koga and Fernando continued to chat, but Khan didn't bother to listen out of fear that he would hear something he didn't want to hear. _Maybe he's right, I am being kind of nosy, _he thought to himself as he finished changing. After that, Khan left along with the other students.

As he participated in the mundane activities of gym class, he noted the zeal in some of his teammates, specifically Fernando. Sure, he always had energy, but today, it was focused. Maybe it was because of their awkward encounter, but he barely chatted with anyone that period, which went against his usual gregarious nature. He only expressed his excitement for the game in a brief conversation they had, and then returned to his task. Khan, inspired by the Spaniard's diligence, also mentally prepared himself for the game and focused on the physical activity.


	17. Chapter 17

Khan chatted with Buck and Fernando about the game later that day as he changed back into his normal school clothes. He was always excited to get to spend time with the team, but away games were special. Something about going on the bus to another school made Khan feel proud, like the team was representing the school. It made him feel important. Fernando's mood had brightened up, so he was excited as well, but Buck seemed strangely subdued. Khan didn't feel like prying, especially after what happened early with Fernando and Koga. Instead, he and Fernando said goodbye to Buck, reassuring that they would hang out later, and left for math class. As they made their way to class, Fernando rambled about trivial matters, and Khan nodded and made an occasional comment. Eventually, they walked into the classroom, and were surprised at the changed seating arrangement. The desks were facing each other in groups of four, instead of in rows like they usually were. This could mean one of two things: that there was a group assignment or a competition. Either way, Khan was excited—he loved socializing with his classmates, especially Fernando. The two sat down across from each other.

"This is different," Fernando commented.

"It's nice, though," Khan replied.

"Alright class, we're going to be playing math jeopardy in your groups because we need to review some older topics," Barik interrupted. Some students groaned, others silently celebrated. A group challenge it was. Khan turned to the other faces at his table. Fernando, who had pulled out his phone, an empty seat, and a pink-haired girl whose name he did not know, but he could tell by the way she sat and scratched at her skin, she wasn't exactly the most engaged student. _It's not for a grade, it doesn't matter_, Khan told himself.

"But this isn't like other group competitions," he continued, "The winning group gets extra credit points on the next test." Heads perked up._ Extra credit?_ Fernando looked up from his phone.

"Mierda, points? I could use some of those."

"Tell me about it," the girl piped up, "At least we've got Khan." He raised an eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Khan asked.  
"You're smart, you can win us this thing," Fernando added.

"Quit chatting!" the teacher yelled. After the students stopped talking, he continued.

"Everyone take out a piece of paper and a pencil. One person will answer each round, and you, as a group, will give them the answer you agree on. They will raise their hand when you are ready. Whoever's person raises their hand first gets to answer first." The class nodded in understanding. People started getting out papers.

"Who wants to start? We can rotate," Khan asked his group.

"I guess I'll go first," Fernando said. He got out his own paper and pencil.

"You guys ready?" Barik asked.  
"Hell yeah!" the girl said.

Barik quickly jotted down the first problem on the board. A trigonometry equation. Fernando and the girl shot each other a look of confusion, while Khan tried to remember his trigonometry to the best of his ability. Unfortunately, his skills were diminished and he could not come up with anything, so another team got the first point.

"It's okay guys, we can get the next one!" Khan commented.

"You mean you can get it," the girl corrected. Khan fell silent as Barik wrote the next question. Once again, he could not recognize it, and neither of his group members attempted to solve it, so they lost the point again. The game went on like this for a couple more questions, but soon enough, Khan recognized a particular question, so he solved it with ease. Then, he raised his hand, his group perking up.

"Khan, you were first, what's your answer?"

"Six times pi," he answered quickly. Barik nodded. "One point for Maeve, Fernando, and Khan." He put a tally under their group's number.

"Ay, nice job, Khan," Fernando remarked. Khan smiled silently and looked towards the board. Shortly after Barik jotted down a problem related to conic sections, Fernando let out a short gasp, practically leaping from his seat in excitement.

"I know this!" he exclaimed, writing the problem on his paper. Khan watched Fernando work.

"The height is… forty-three feet," he answered, "Right?"

"Yes." The girl, Maeve, nodded and raised her hand.

"Group four again? Alright, your answer?"

"Forty-three!" the girl shouted.

"Correct. Another point for your group."

"See, I don't need to get points for you, you guys can do it," Khan reassured.

"Well, if it weren't for you I wouldn't have been able to solve the problem. You taught me conic sections, remember?"

"You're correct." They drew their attention to the board once again. This time, it was a logarithmic equation. Maeve and Fernando quickly cracked down on the problem, while Khan simply glanced over their work, looking for any errors. After they confirmed their answer, Fernando raised his hand. However, he was too slow, and Barik called on another group.

"What's your answer, group six?" he asked.

"Uh, five," one of them uttered.

"That's incorrect," the teacher responded, shifting his gaze to Fernando, "Group four?"

"It's three," he said. Barik nodded slowly, and added a third tally to their score.

"Group four takes another point." They celebrated once again, the other students wearing expressions of boredom and defeat. How did the group with one person missing and two of the dumbest people in the class keep beating them?

For the rest of the class, they proceeded to gain more points, but they were no match for the brightest students, who all sat at one table in the front. Still, Khan and Fernando left the class feeling proud of themselves, their group having come in second place.

"You've really improved a lot in math," Khan noted as they left the classroom. Fernando let out a quick chuckle, putting his hand on the back of his head.

"I've never been good," he replied, pausing for a moment. "Gracias," he uttered quietly.

Khan returned a smirk, hiding his surprise at his success in flattering Fernando. The two proceeded in the direction of the locker rooms continuing to chat. Some teammates and cheerleaders were already lingering in the are, chatting. Khan scanned for Lian, for he had not seen her and was starting to worry. She was nowhere in sight. He sighed and headed for the locker room, and Fernando, who was still at his side, perked up.

"What's on your mind?" he asked.

"Nothing, it's just Lian," he answered.  
"What about her?"  
"I haven't gotten to talk to her. We didn't exactly end on good terms last night." Fernando's face changed from curiosity to worry.  
"Last night? What happened last night?" he asked, almost frantically.

"We got in an argument, that's all." The Spaniard exhaled in relief.

"Oh. I'm sure she'll get over it," he answered nonchalantly, as they walked into the locker room. They walked to their respective lockers.

"I'm not sure, I think I made her really upset," Khan continued. He began to feel insecure, for they were alone in the locker room and speaking about a sensitive topic.

"Why do you say that?"  
"She…" He paused, facing away from Fernando. _Do I tell him she slapped me? What if he makes fun of me?_ He was snapped out of his worries when he faced his friend and saw that he had moved much closer.

"What did she do, Khan?" he grumbled, a hint of anger in his lowered voice. Khan could see the darkness in his face and realized that there was no avoiding this.

"She hit me." Fernando furrowed his eyebrows.  
"Hijo de puta!" He slammed his fist against the locker.

"Fernando, calm down," Khan placed his arms on his shoulders, then continued, "It's not that big of a deal!"  
"No, it is, she abused you," Fernando continued, his face reddened with rage. Khan fearfully looked back towards the door of the locker room, then turned back to Fernando.

"Fernado, please don't tell anyone, okay? It's kind of embarrassing," Khan pleaded.

"But you should prioritize your safety over her," he argued.  
"Fernando, don't worry about me, okay?" Khan moved one hand down Fernando's arm, and the other to his own face. "It didn't even leave a mark." Fernando, crossing his arms, sighed.

"Alright, I won't tell. But you seriously need to put her in her place," he said, almost in a scolding manner. His face still flushed, he walked back to his locker and started to change into athletic clothing. They were both changing when Buck and Viktor came in.

"We heard some noise in here, you guys good?" Buck asked.

"Yeah," Khan responded slowly. Khan could feel his face turn warm out of embarrassment. _What if he heard what we were talking about?_ Viktor glanced at Buck, then shot a look at Khan, smirking.

"You can admit you were fu-" Buck socked him before he could finish the sentence, and Fernando groaned. They both glared at the Russian, who smiled mischievously. Fernando's face darkened as he quickly turned to his locker. Khan rolled his eyes and continued to change into his clothes. Fernando sat down on a bench after he finished changing and Khan joined him, leaning against the wall adjacent to Fernando. More football players piled into the room, stripping their clothing, changing, and talking noisily. Eventually, Viktor and Buck walked towards the two.

"You guys ready to head out?" Fernando asked.

"Yes, we're ready," Buck said. The four of them headed for the door. A crowd of cheerleaders had accumulated outside. Khan searched white-haired girl in the crowd, but it proved futile. Fernando noticed his increasing anxiety.

"Don't worry about her," he reassured. Khan opened his mouth to protest, but no words came out.

"Hey, want to sit with me on the bus?" Fernando asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, sure." Fernando nodded.

"Alright then, let's go," he answered as he started towards the parking lot. Khan followed behind, not paying attention to the crowd of cheerleaders they were cutting through. He collided with a familiar red-headed girl's shoulder. Cassie turned her head.

"I'm sorry," Khan apologized.

"It's okay." She glanced towards Fernando, who had stopped walking and turned around. He returned her gaze.

"Hola C-Cassie," he stuttered.

"Hey," she greeted, "How are you?"

"Good. I would love to talk, but we have to go," Fernando said quickly. She nodded, and before Khan could react, he grabbed him by the hand and pulled him away from Cassie. Fernando rushed through the crowd, taking Khan along with him through an alleyway to the parking lot, where athletes and cheerleaders began to board the buses. He and Fernando reunited with Buck and Viktor, who briefly questioned their disappearance. The group chatted and ascended the steps of the bus. Fernando chose a seat towards the middle of the bus, and Khan sat next to him. Buck and Viktor sat in the seat behind theirs, and Khan stared blankly out the window past Fernando, still hoping to find Lian amongst the groups of cheerleaders. He thought he saw white hair and gasped, prompting Fernando to look up. He frowned when in realization of what Khan was doing.

"¡Oh dios mio! Stop worrying about her already," he scolded, frustrated, "Here, have this," he said, handing him an earbud from the pair that he had plugged into his phone. Khan hesitated for a moment, then put it in.

"What do you want to listen to?" Fernando asked.

"Whatever you want is fine."

"Fine. Don't complain if I blast salsa music." At that, a reggae song started playing through the earbud.

"This will calm you down," Fernando assured with a smile, "It works on me." Khan nodded, then leaned back in his chair. After a couple of minutes, the bus started moving, and Khan stared at the street lights and trees as he listened to the upbeat tunes of Jamaica. Next to him, Fernando nodded his head to the beat.

/

Khan felt like he had a fever. Screeches of joy echoed through his head as rested in the dark bus. The air felt heavy with the musty scent of sweat and sports drinks, and everytime he took a breath, he could taste the sweet flavor of victory. He turned to Fernando, his sweaty face shining in the yellowish hue of the streetlights. His thick biceps were wrapped around his chest, his eyes were shut, and his earplugs were in. Khan wanted to chat, but did not want to wake his friend, so he turned backwards towards Buck and Viktor.

"Oh, hi Khan. How are you?" Buck asked.

"My mind is racing," he replied.

"We were thinking of playing a game to wind down," Viktor added, "Care to join us?" Khan raised an eyebrow.  
"What type of game?" he asked suspiciously.

"Truth or dare!" He shouted. Buck struck his arm and shushed him. Khan knew this could be dangerous. A game like truth or dare, with someone like Viktor? However, he was rather bored and needed something to shift gears. _What's the worst that could happen?_

"Sure, why not?" Viktor let out a victorious chuckle.  
"Good. Get Fernando to join, then we can start," he continued.

"I think he's asleep."

"We'll wait for him, then." Khan nodded, then faced forward. A white light from his side caught his eye. He glanced over and saw Fernando, texting away.

"Oh, Fernando, you're awake?" No response.

"Fernando?" He leaned over, taking a quick peek at his screen. He could have sworn he saw Cassie's name and picture at the top of the screen before Fernando moved his phone away and looked to Khan. _Is he texting Cassie?_

"What is it?" Fernando asked, rather irritated.

"Do you want to play truth or dare with us?" Khan asked.

"Not really, why?"  
"It'll be fun." Fernando rolled his eyes, then took out his earbuds.

"Fine." Khan nodded, then turned back around Viktor and Buck.

"He's in. Who's going first?"

"You," Viktor answered. Khan didn't know what to do at first. Eventually, he decided he wanted to see Buck do something rather silly, and since he would almost always choose dare, he had his opportunity.

"Buck, truth or dare?" he asked.  
"Dare."

"Okay, I dare you to stick your head out of the window and shout at someone on the sidewalk."

"That's so ridiculous, what the hell, Khan?" Buck questioned.

"You have to do it." Viktor insisted. Buck rolled his eyes, opened their window, and stuck his head out. Since it was dark, not many people were on the streets. It took a minute to find someone.  
"Hey! I like your shoes!" he shouted quickly. Then, he withdrew his head and closed the window.  
"You happy?" he asked. At this point, Viktor and Khan were both chuckling. Fernando had turned around to witness the act as well.

"Yes. Your turn now," Viktor said.

"Viktor, truth or dare?" Buck asked.

"Truth."

"Alright, let me think," Buck answered, pausing. "Do you feel bad for Skye? Like, do you wish she wasn't expelled?" Viktor's face turned white.

"That's two questions!" Buck chuckled.

"You have to do it," he answered in a mocking tone.

"Yes, and yes," Viktor confessed, "Now I get to choose someone. Fernando, truth or dare?"  
"What?" he responded.

"Truth or dare?" Fernando contemplated for a moment.

"Dare." Viktor jumped in his seat and Khan gulped, scared of the power he had over his friend.

"I dare you to cuddle with Khan!" Buck gasped. Khan felt his face turn hot.

"Hijo de la chingada- what the hell, Viktor?" Fernando shouted.

"Do it!" Fernando sighed.

"Lo siento, amigo," Fernando uttered as he leaned into his chest and laid his arms around Khan's shoulders. Khan felt his warm body against his, and his heart began pounding. Viktor started to laugh hysterically, and Buck rolled his eyes.

"It's okay, we're just two bros, cuddling, totally normal," Khan assured shakily. Fernando chuckled into his chest. The temperature in the bus seemed to increase as Fernando's muscular arms weighed down on Khan. His dark hair tickled the bottom of his chin, and he could feel his friend's breath on his chest.

"Can we stop now?" Fernando asked, his voice muffled in Khan's shirt.

"Yes," Buck answered, for Viktor was now laughing too much to speak. He moved his arms away from Khan and lifted himself off of him. Fernando's warmth lingered on him, and Khan's arms now felt empty. It had felt like an eternity, yet a short moment.

"I don't like this game, can we stop?" he asked. Khan nodded in agreement. Viktor, still too consumed by laughter to respond, shook his head.

"We should," Buck answered.

"No, please," Viktor protested through gasps of air, "At least let Fernando have a turn."

"Fine. Khan, truth or dare?" He thought for a moment, then responded.

"Truth." Fernando nodded slowly, and his eyes narrowed. His intense eyes, which shone in the dark, focused on Khan, and Khan only.

"Do you really love Lian?" Khan's heart dropped. How could Fernando ask such a personal question? Khan wanted to say yes, he loved Lian. It would make her so happy if he said he loved her, if he stood up for her. But she wouldn't know, and he had to tell the truth, the truth being that he did not love Lian. He never felt romantic attraction towards her. She was only a friend, a good friend, nonetheless. But love? He looked towards his friends. Buck and Viktor both stared at each other in awe. Fernando was still fixated on Khan.

"No." Fernando nodded.

"Alright. Game over." He put his earbuds back in, then returned to browsing his phone. Khan stared blankly at Fernando, intrigued by his calm demeanor after the exchange.

"Hey, what the hell?" Buck asked, after a long pause.

"I don't know. He confuses me," Khan answered.

"Confuses you, huh?" Viktor butted in, chuckling.

"Now is not the time for your innuendos, Viktor," Buck protested.

"Whatever. That was a fun game, though."

"Easy for you to say, all you had to do was confess something everyone already knew," Buck answered.

"Hey, shut up! All you had to do was compliment a random stranger!" Khan phased out as the two continued their banter.

For the rest of the night, he was stuck in a haze of awe and confusion. After arriving at Realm High, he congratulated his teammates and bid them farewell. He wanted to talk to Fernando, but the time he had finished with everyone else, he was long gone. Khan walked to his house almost aimlessly, not bothering to check if his neighbor, Lian, was home. He took a long shower and then tucked himself into bed, not having enough energy to work on homework. He tossed, turned, and tried to explain everything going on in his head. He recalled feelings about Fernando and his mysteriously charming nature. He realized that he had not seen Lian all afternoon, and began to worry again. He felt like he was missing crucial facts, something about Fernando, something about Lian, but he didn't know what they were.


	18. Chapter 18

Buck opened his eyes to an oddly bright version of his bedroom. Sunlight seemed to pour through his windows with more intensity than normal. His gaze shifted towards the clock, the time reading 10:53 A.M. Buck's heart began to race at his realization. He had slept in, and was running late for school. _God dammit, I must have been exhausted__,_ he thought to himself as he leapt out of bed. He took off his pajamas and tossed them on the bed, then put on a t-shirt and sweatpants. Then, he dashed to a drawer to grab some socks, which he quickly slipped on along with the pair of tennis shoes next to the door. Buck then slammed the door to his room open, making sure to grab his backpack in the process, and quickly descended down the stairs. He decided making breakfast wasn't worth it, and opted to grab a granola bar from the cupboard instead. As he opened the wrapper and began to eat it, he rushed towards the front door, making sure to grab his car keys on the way. Buck then opened the door, walked to his car, got in, started the car, and drove to his school. After finishing the short drive, he parked his car on a street nearby and began sprinting towards his school. He checked the time on his phone. 11:06 A.M. He should be in art class. Buck ran through the front lawn, into the main building of the school, and towards his class, disregarding rules against running in the hallways. He slowed down once he made it to the classroom and nervously opened the door.

He felt as if everyone in the classroom was staring at him. For a brief moment before he entered, they were working on their assignments, but as soon as the door shut, they looked up. Everyone was wearing odd costumes and make-up, reminding Buck that today was Halloween. He completely forgot about the holiday in his rush to get to school, and stood out in his normal clothing. He felt like he was in a bad dream. Inara, who had been helping a student, turned around.

"You're tardy, Buck." Buck stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

"I'm sorry," he muttered.  
"Make your way to your seat. I'll be with you shortly." He nodded and listened to her, the other classmates returning to what they were doing prior to his interruption. His table group gazed at him suspiciously as he sat down. After a short silence, Sha Lin piped up.

"So, where were you?" he asked. "You're not usually late."

"I overslept. I was totally exhausted from that game last night and I forgot to set an alarm." Sha Lin nodded.

"Understandable," added Cassie, looking up. "If I were you, well, you wouldn't see me for days after a game." Sha Lin let out a chuckle. Cassie shifted her gaze to Sha Lin, giggled, and went back to sketching on a piece of paper. Inara made her way over to the table.

"This is your first tardy this year, Buck, so there are no consequences this time. However, you will be penalized for subsequent tardies. Understood?" she asked, her tone more authoritative than normal.

"Yes. It won't happen again." She nodded, then smiled, returning to her normally laid-back self.

"Today is a free drawing day, with a focus on Halloween. Draw anything related to Halloween and turn it in at the end of class for credit."

"Sounds like fun, I'll get to it," Buck replied, taking out a pencil and grabbing the extra piece of paper in the middle of the table. Inara walked away, and Buck began sketching. He had made some progress on a drawing of a Jack-O-Lantern when Sha Lin spoke once again.

"So, are you guys going to Khan's Halloween party tonight? I heard everyone's going to be there!" he asked excitedly.

"I'm going with Koga," she answered, beaming.

"Sounds great. You guys going to wear costumes?" Buck took note of Ying's costume, which seemed to be a mermaid. She wore a small pink top with many frills, a pearl necklace, and a messy bun tied together with a silky blue scrunchie with seashells glued onto it.

"Yeah, I'm going to add some things to my costume so it's a bit better." She paused, then spoke again, "K-Koga's got a pirate outfit to wear along with mine."

"So you're matching?" asked Cassie, raising an eyebrow. Ying's pale skin turned pink around her cheeks.  
"Yeah, he thought it would be a good idea." She chuckled nervously and looked away from Cassie. Buck never thought of Koga as the type of guy to want to match costumes with a girl, but he didn't question it.

"That's nice. I'll make sure to say hi to you guys there," replied Cassie, smiling.

"You're going too?" Sha Lin chimed in.  
"Yeah, you should come! It's going to be a lot of fun." Sha Lin nodded.

"What about you Buck? Are you going?" he asked.  
"I'm not really sure, I might." Buck hadn't told anyone that he was going, but planned to go anyways. He always had a great time at Khan's parties before. However, after considering the recent tensions with Khan's friend group, he wasn't so sure if it would be such a great party.

"Do you not have a costume?" Buck cursed to himself.

"No, I don't."

"You'll have plenty of time to come up with one. We get out of school early, I think."  
"Yeah, we do," Ying added.

"Okay, I was right. Don't worry, then, Buck."

"Yeah, I'll come up with something." Buck returned to working on his sketch. Shortly after he finished, the bell for lunch rang. He turned in his work and made his way out of the classroom, reuniting with his group in the hallway to walk to the lunchroom together. The four went through the doors and to their table, Buck sitting down next to Koga once they arrived. Buck searched the table for Jenos to no avail. _Where is he?_

"Hey man, how you doing?" Koga asked. Buck shifted his gaze to the silver-haired rascal.

"I'm doing alright, but I was really late to school. Got here in the middle of last class," Buck answered. Koga scoffed.  
"Geez, how much did you sleep?"

"I woke up at like 11."

"You must have been exhausted."

"Yeah, I was." Koga nodded.

"Well hopefully you have enough energy to come to that party tonight," Koga commented, "It's going to be so awesome." Buck rolled his eyes. _Again with this party?_

"I've already heard about it. You're going with Ying, right?" Buck asked innocently. Koga's face suddenly turned dark. He glanced towards Ying, who was sitting across the table and chatting with some other girls.

"Y-yeah." Buck smirked, putting two and two together in his head. Koga's behavior seemed to mirror the flustered behavior Buck noticed from Ying earlier.

"Something going on between you two?" Buck asked. Koga socked Buck's arm under the table.

"Shut it," he spat in a low voice, "Nothing's going on."

"You don't need to get so defensive."

"We can talk later, okay?" Buck nodded, turning to Fernando next to him, who had just arrived at the table.

"Hey Fernando."

"Hola, amigo, ¿qué tal?"

"Nothing much. Let me guess what's up with you, though. You're going to that party, right?" Fernando grinned.

"How did you know?"

"I've been hearing about it all day. Besides, it's at Khan's place, and I know you two are close." Fernando chuckled awkwardly.

"His parties are pretty cool, though, you can give him that," Fernando commented.

"Yeah, they are."

"Besides, someone always brings booze!" Fernando added excitedly. Suddenly, Koga looked up.

"Wait, really?" he asked.

"Sí."

"Sick, I'll keep that in mind."

"Don't get too hammered," Buck warned the two, prompting them to laugh.

"Are you a lightweight, Buck?" Koga teased. Buck paused, slightly anxious. He had never had alcohol in his life. _They're going to make fun of me..__._

"I don't drink." Fernando gasped.

"You don't? You're missing out!" Buck rolled his eyes.

"Whatever dude, I'd prefer to not puke, piss myself, and pass out. I already go through that crap after football games." The two chuckled.

"Fair point," Koga answered, "but you should try to live a little tonight. You are coming, right?" Buck paused.  
"I don't know. I don't have a costume or anything," Buck answered.

"Oh. Well, maybe you could find something at the store beforehand? Or just throw something together? That's what I'm doing," Fernando suggested. Buck nodded.

"I'll keep that in mind." Suddenly, the bell signalling the end of lunch rang. Buck got up, and along with Buck and Fernando, walked out to the hallway and began making his way towards the locker room. He half-listened to Koga and Fernando chat as he walked, still preoccupied with the party. He was still unsure of whether it was worth the effort to go. Buck felt the pressure from his friends to go, and felt like he might have some fun, but didn't know if it was worth the risk of getting involved in some new drama with Lian's group. _I wish I could just have fun some other way… what if Lian tries something?_

He was snapped out of his trance when he felt a light tap on his shoulder. Buck stopped, turned around, and faced Jenos.

"H-hey, Jenos. What's up?"

"Hello Buck. I am sorry I couldn't talk today at lunch, I was busy with something," Jenos started. Buck turned around, his friends waiting for him. He signalled that he needed some time, and they nodded, resuming their walk to the locker room.

"It's alright, is there something you needed to tell me?" Buck asked, turning around and moving towards the side of the hallway. Jenos followed.

"Yes, actually. I'm taking advantage of the early day, I'm going to make my way up to the mountains and go camping. Do you want to come with me?" _Camping?_ Buck hadn't gone camping since he was a boy, and never with Jenos. The thought excited him.

"I'd love to." Jenos smiled.  
"Alright, it's going to be me, you, and my cousin. We're leaving this afternoon. Can I pick you up at your house at 3:00?" Buck pondered. If he left with Jenos, he wouldn't be able to go to the party. _I didn't really want to go anyways._

"Uh, yeah, sure. I'll pack my bags." Jenos raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure? Did you have something else planned?" Buck realized he needed to get to the locker room.

"No, nothing, I'll be ready at 3, see you Jenos!" he replied quickly, turning away from Jenos and rushing to the locker room. Luckily, he was already almost to the locker room when Jenos had stopped him, so his friends were still there chatting when he arrived. Buck changed while others slowly trickled out of the locker room and into the gym. Fernando and Khan left, leaving only Koga and Buck. Koga leaned against a locker near Buck as he put away his school clothes. Buck decided to break the silence.

"So, Ying," he said, suddenly. Koga cleared his throat.

"What about her?" he asked, clearly struggling to keep his composure.

"What's going on with you two?" Buck continued in a teasing tone.

"N-nothing," Koga stuttered.

"Okay, so people with nothing going on between them get really nervous and flustered when someone mentions the other. Totally," Buck commented sarcastically. Koga rolled his eyes.  
"Fine. I'll spill the beans, since you seem to care so damn much. I have a crush on her. A-" He paused to wipe beads of sweat off of his forehead. "A really big one." Buck nodded.

"Do you know if she likes you back?"

"I don't know, maybe. We're going to the party together tonight, something might happen." Buck was slightly surprised at this side of Koga, as well as excited for him. He recalled how Ying acted when Cassie teased her this morning.

"I'd bet money on it. Good luck man."

"Thanks," Koga replied, smiling. Buck realized he had never seen a genuine smile from Koga until now. When he smiled, it was usually just because of a bad joke or someone else's misfortune. Buck hoped Ying felt the same way about his friend.

"We should get to class," Koga said. Buck nodded, and having finished changing into his gym clothes, headed out of the locker room with Koga.

/

"Trick or treat!" shouted a group of kids in costumes at the door. Khan smiled, picking candies out of the bowl to give to the children. Each one thanked him, then walked to the sidewalk and continued down the street. Khan closed the door and placed the candy bowl on a table. He always liked trick-or-treating as a kid. Khan also missed watching scary movies and having sleepovers with his friends. His wholesome memories of Halloween disappeared as he gazed at the crowd of partying teenagers awaiting him. Music played through the speakers, and everyone was cheering and yelling. He had spent a considerable amount of time decorating, only for it to be quickly undone by the mess that had taken hold of the room. He tried to push his way through the crowd to the less populated kitchen, but was stopped by his girlfriend.

"There you are! Where the hell did you go?" she started.

"I'm sorry Lian, I had to do something." Lian rolled her eyes.

"I need you to stay with me. Otherwise, nobody will understand our costume." Lian had insisted on wearing a couple's costume with Khan. She put on a long black dress and wore her hair down with red lipstick to dress as Morticia Addams. She made Khan wear a striped suit and slick his hair back to be her husband, Gomez.  
"Okay, I won't leave you again."

"Are you going to dance with me now?" she asked.

"Sure." He grabbed her hands, and the two of them started dancing in a relatively calm manner. Khan tried his best to look like he was having a good time despite the chaos. His eyes wandered to the people around him. _At least everyone else looks like they're having fun__,_ he thought to himself. One girl in particular seemed to be having a blast. She wore a rather revealing cat costume and danced in a sexual manner. He couldn't tell who she was in the chaos, but she seemed familiar. He knew he didn't invite her directly, either. Khan was surprised when she moved to a man wearing a werewolf costume and started dancing with him. _Viktor?_

"Hey! Pay attention to me, not that slut!" Lian snapped. Khan looked back to her.

"I'm sorry, I-" Lian turned her head to watch the scene.

"Wait, what the fuck? Is that…?" Lian pondered, yanking her hands out of Khan's. She stomped over to the two dancing, so filled with anger that steam seemed to pour out of her ears. He saw her point and heard her raise her voice, and decided it was a good time to escape to the kitchen. On the way there, he almost slipped in something wet. He looked down to see a soupy light brown liquid with orange chunks in it. _Vomit?_ Khan's feeling that something was wrong increased as he quickly restored his balance and walked to the kitchen. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw a few empty six-packs of beers on the kitchen counter, as well as an empty bottle.

"Who brought beers?" he questioned loudly. Khan didn't like when people brought alcohol to his parties, both because he was scared of getting in trouble with his parents and because it made the party more chaotic. _Some people must already be drunk, that would explain the vomit__, _he thought to himself as he threw away the cardboard holders. When he turned around, another familiar face had presented itself at his counter.

"Hey Khan," greeted Fernando. He wore what seemed to be a fireman's jacket and pants. His face was flushed red and he hiccuped loudly.  
"Hi Fernando," replied Khan suspiciously, "You having fun?"  
"Are you kidding me? I'm having a great time!" he answered, his words slurred. Khan raised an eyebrow.

"Fernando, are you drunk?" He chuckled as he moved his hand up from under the table and finished the beer he was holding.

"Not drunk, ese, just having fun!" Khan moved next to Fernando and grabbed his other arm from under the tabletop. Just as he had suspected, he held another empty beer.

"Fernando, you've had too much to drink."

"Relájate, amigo, come with me, let's go dance," he insisted in a wavering voice. Fernando got up from his chair and began walking towards the living room. Suddenly, he slipped on the same vomit Khan had. Khan hurried over to his friend and helped him get up.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm go-" Fernando stumbled and almost tripped again, but Khan caught him.

"You're too drunk. Come on, let me take you somewhere safe," Khan insisted. Fernando tried to protest, but couldn't seem to form a complete sentence with the loud music and chaos around him. Khan put his arm around his friend's midsection and moved upstairs with him. He slowly made his way to his room and opened the door, still holding onto his friend. Khan flipped the light switch, illuminating the dark room. Fernando stumbled and sat down onto his bed, then looked at him.

"It's hot in here," he said.

"I can open a window, if you'd like."

"No. Not that kind of hot. It's just… you're kind of hot." Khan gulped as he made eye contact with his friend. The Spaniard smirked at him in an almost lustful manner. _What the hell?_


End file.
